Throne of Petals
by RebellAngell21
Summary: At the age of seventeen Meridith has suffered more loss than anyone her age should have. Held captive for nearly a year as a successful experiment she escapes intent on having freedom for both herself and her little hitchhiker. One moonlit encounter in a greenhouse changes everything when she catches the wandering half-mad gaze of the Moor.
1. Chapter 1

The bus hissed as it pulled away from the curb leaving me to face the chill of the wind alone once again. How many times had I ended up here before this very sign on nights like this? The stone that rested against my wrist pulsed with life once again causing a slight vibration to run up my chilled arm. I adjusted the band pulling it away from my pulse point down past my forearm up onto my shoulder loosely. No, I wouldn't forget what my purpose was here. Not after running so far from the land that had both bore and buried me amongst my trees of my family's farm. I pulled my red hood tighter around my head before turning on my heel and heading west into the city. I had no money for a cub, plus I hadn't owned a cell phone in some years. I doubted that this city had any working payphones. Plenty of booths/adverts for them but not a single working one

Last night's snow was now melting the black slush from the quiet highways circling down the gutters. Mama always told me that his part of Washington hardly got hit with heavy weather-I guess she was wrong. It felt like a pleasant forty five degrees out here but with the wind chill it was nearly twenty. I had spent my last hundred dollars on the tickets to get out here leaving the few crumpled bills at the bottom of my bag only for food and-possibly-a warm bed. I highly doubted I would get that comfy bed without flashing a little cleavage at a few people though. A red truck drove towards me heading towards the red light behind me. It continued forward on its narrow path before veering quickly towards the curb.

"Thank you fucker!" I hissed out as the dirty water hit me. The driver cackled out loud before speeding forward ignoring the light completely. "I hope you get a ticket and a flat tire." I muttered out shaking the small bits of icy slush from my jeans. They tightened against my midsection in protest reminding me once again that I needed new clothes. With a sigh I trudged on ignoring their protest and my own stomachs ache for hunger. When I left Oregon I knew that the going would be tough but hadn't counted on such an early winter. The leaves had barely been turning their fall colors when I grabbed my small back pack intent on leaving before anyone had the chance to follow me.

But here I was now standing in the middle of a muddy sidewalk with soaked to my bones. Huffing I continued walking he twenty miles to the hotel listed on the sign. _Hopefully they have a complimentary breakfast, I'm practically wasting away now, _I thought as another blustering wind went through my thin jacket. Even though I felt numb walking here amongst the last of the brown grass my heart ached. _Stupid traitor of an organ. Stupid feelings. Stupid kidnappers. Stupid wolf! _I winced at that one. If it hadn't been for my own curiosity I would have never come to be at this much of a low. If I had managed to just stay in the park that night and not go off to the mall to steal change from all of the vending machines then I would have never became what I was. I would have never had to live with the reality of true utter pain nor would my soul ache so much.

Deep within me I heard the wolf give a chastising growl. Predicament or not I had to move on with my life or forever be kept as a victim. No, I was submissive, yes, I was injured with scars deeply embedded in my soul, but I had a gift. A gift that forced my numbing toes to continue on in this early winter-a gift in the form of a hitchhiker. My toes hit the edge of concrete as I looked up. _Tri-Cities Motel-$20.00/Night, Meals Included. Cable _the sign flashed at the corner of my eyes. I had made it here and hit the jackpot of free food as well.

I stomped my feet free of the freezing mud as I walked into the dimly lit lobby. A women with faded pink hair and black eye shadow sat behind the glass partition surrounding the front desk. She flipped through a water stained fashion magazine as she chewed on the piece of gum in her mouth. Every once in a while she circled something in the magazine with her long pointer finger nail as she sounded out the words quietly to herself. I slung my backpack from my shoulder placing it with a loud thunk on the counter. She paused for only a second at the sound before flipping through the magazine once again.

"Um, hi I need-"I started out.

"Twenty bucks for the night. Not negotiable." She popped her gum before mouthing out another word.

"Ok, I have twenty here but can I stay for maybe-"

"Not negotiable. Twenty bucks will get you the room for the night. Any longer and hats another twenty per night." She flicked her eyes up to my face before looking down.

I sighed. "I just got into town and am really strapped for cash. Is there any way for me to get another night? I'm pregnant and it's freezing cold outside. I could clean rooms perhaps?" I fiddled with the bill in my hand as I looked at the top of her head. She flipped the magazine closed as she leaned over the counter as much as she could with the partition to stare at my belly. My shirt had ridden up some when I took the backpack off dragging my red jacket with it. She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth before reaching under the counter for a key. "Three nights. How much cash can you give me now?" She twirled the key between her manicured nails as she stared me down.

"Thirty, it's all I have on me, I swear. If it's any issue then please let me clean some of the rooms."

"No need. The maid's come every night for that. I'm only doing this since I get two free nights here a year-trust me this place isn't a place you want to linger in any longer than you have to. Eight hours a day is more than enough for me. You're in room D1 second door on the left. Since you came in so late dinners over but you can have this," she pushed through the small slot along with a small burrito. "I had two already and don't want this one. If you see anything wrong with the room dial 0 on the phone." She opened the magazine once again before shoeing me off with a wave of her hand.

I grabbed both items from the counter then headed down the hallway. The door was a grimy white with two blue doves painted on it. They were paced far apart with their necks extended as if their two beaks were kissing each other. My lips tightened into a small frown as I twisted the key in the lock. It budged with a bit of pressure before the door popped open on squeaky hinges. The room was dark save for the neon signs glow peeking in from behind the heavy curtains. Loud moans sounded from the room next door with Uncle Kracker's Drift Away blaring through I hummed along with the song as my foot kicked the door closed behind me.

The bed had a faded comforter on it with two very flat pillows lined in similar distasteful print. I placed my backpack on the wire luggage rack next to the closet as I walked across the room to fiddle with the wall heater. It buzzed to life spewing out dirt for a few moments that made me choke. A few moments later the scent of electric heat swamped the room warming me slowly. I stripped out of my wet clothes as I walked into the small bathroom. The shower was an odd mix between tile and ceramic fixtures with the tub coated in an annoying shade of pink. I _slung_ my clothes over the shower railing before adjusting the temperature to a few degrees above scalding. Even though my body kept it's unusually high temperature I found it hard to not like hot showers. There was just something about it that kept me grounded to my humanity. I scrubbed my scalp with the small shampoo that had been left in along with a small bottle of conditioner. I used the suds to scrub at the dirt stains on my body.

My hand lingered of my slightly swollen belly. At five months pregnant I was barely beginning to show but I was so tiny that you could barely see it. At four eleven you would have thought I'd look like someone hiding a small soccer ball underneath my jacket but I didn't. As far as I knew I was the only werewolf to have a pregnancy last this long without losing it. But that was one of the reasons they had changed me. My wide hips brought a whispered promise of life along with full breasts. They told me, once I had woken up as the monster that I was that first night, that I had showed promise. I had eased through my change in a drunken state of sleepiness only moaning once in pain. They kept me for what felt like years but was really months in the lab experimenting on me in both wolf and human form. At one point they had injected a small amount of silver in me along with a zygote from another subject. I lost the baby within a matter of hours as I screamed in pain from the silver. I was denied a pack and given white coats instead.

_Ten lost souls, _my mind echoed, _ten babies that could have been. But not anymore. I would die for you little hitchhiker, I would die. _I let the water wash the tears from my eyes as I looked up at the blinking light. My hand gave one last rub before I moved down to my legs then shut off the water once fully rinsed. At seventeen I felt like I had lost more than any other girl would in their normal life. I had to fake being in love with one of the wolves that had turned me in order to get out. Viktor who was already crazy from the loss of his only surviving daughter warmed up to me hoping that I would somehow manage to give him a new family. I could still hear his pained howl when I ran from the facility hell bent on escaping. I didn't know it at the time but I was pregnant. From that moment onward I was determined to not be caught again. That was what lead me here out in the middle of nowhere.

I rubbed the steam from the mirror with one of the hand towels that had been left on the counter. My green eyes stared back at me tiredly as my deep black hair began to frizz in the humidity of the bathroom. There was no air vent for me to turn on so I had to suffer with the stickiness of it. I strode into the room wrapped in my towel as I unwrapped the burrito eager to get some food in me. I flipped the TV on with my big toe as it flashed to the local news channel. A women with a blue scarf and matching beanie stood outside of an office complex waiting to speak. She nodded her head as she pulled the microphone closer to her mouth, "Thank you John for that lovely story. We just heard back from the lawyer of Adam Hauptman and the police chief. He has safely been released from being kidnapped. He was apparently kidnapped by an anti-fae organization earlier this week in an attempt to have him assassinate a senator. He is now back home with his wife and will be returning to work shortly. Back to you John."

Just as the camera panned out from her the woman next door screamed in absolute rapture, "RICK!" Her voice rattled the window some as the bed hit roughly against the wall. Uncle Kracker began to repeat again as the room grew silent. I crumpled up the burrito wrapper before tossing it into the garbage can next to the bed. I unwrapped myself from the towel before moving the covers away from the bed and slipping underneath them. "Adam Hauptman," I mumbled against the flat pillow as I watched the weather girl predicting how long the storm would last. "So that's the alpha I'll have to turn myself into if I get caught. Hopefully that won't happen anytime soon." I closed my eyes as the image of a black wolf circling before laying down played behind my lids. She placed her snout on the top of her paws with her ears pricked forward. _Soon, _she told me, _we will be safe to sleep without one eye open. _I ran my hands through her fur before finally falling asleep, a faint kick within my belly reminding me of my promise.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometime during the night the heater had shut off. I woke up freezing as chilled air came in from the window's frame. I was tired last night that I hadn't put on any clothes fully depending on the heater to run all night. My eyes took in the dark room taking just a second to adjust to the lack of light. Not only had the heater given out but the TV's timer had clicked off as well. I lay wrapped up in the comforter for a few moments listening to the sounds around me. My neighbors had checked out when I was sleeping, the sounds of Uncle Kracker and vigorous love making long gone. The only sounds were the faint coughs from the girl at the front desk.

Slowly I stretched my cold muscles flexing them as a way to get warmer. I wrapped my comforter around me tightly as my feet touched the carpeted ground. The fact that I could see my breath made me highly uncomfortable. While my wolf was happy with the cold it reminded me too much of being held in a small room as I was strapped down. I rubbed my hands over my face before fixating my gaze on a worn spot on the carpet. I had slept for maybe four hours but I still felt exhausted. The itching urge to run with my tail tucked between my legs into the mountains tugged at my being but I tapped it down.

One of the first things the white coats discovered about me was how I could change without losing my baby. It was tormenting to know that someone could inject something into you with monitoring devices hooked up to you. While I never immediately lost a baby the amount of times I changed during it caused it.

"_Six total physical transformations before her uterus begins to severely cramp. At that point the fetus is fully dislodged; termination of pregnancy is inevitable as neither drugs nor physical therapy is able to bring it back." One of the white coats had prattled off to his leader while he wrote everything down on his tablet. The man with him placed two fingers on my jugular. I had been muzzled in an attempt to restrain me. My body ached from the rapid change as the painful fluttering began once again in my abdomen. I would not whine out in pain nor grief. I would stay here silent, ashamed, and angered at what had been done. But I swore my freedom._

Three rapid knocks on the door snapped me out of my daze. "Breakfast," a cheery voice called through the door. I stood quickly stumbling in the comforter towards the door. My hand flipped the light switch as I called out, "Just a second," before digging into my backpack. I pulled on a knee-length black dress running my hands through my hair. I answered the door to see a cheery round faced older woman holding a tray with two daisy's on it. A bowl of hot cereal sat in the middle with some fruit and several pieces of sausage on the side. "Good morning ma'am. Breakfast is served. Please feel free to leave the dishes by your door when you're done. Also, I included some extra links on here; Genie told me that you were eating for two on a tight budget so I thought that you'd like the extra protein. If not then I can take them away if you'd like." She fidgeted with the hem of her uniform shirt.

I smiled softly at her. "Thank you for being so considerate. I'll be sure to save the rest for a snack later. Are-are there any store's around here by chance? Or a laundry mat?" I took the tray from her while holding up my blanket. She nodded her head before pointing down the hallways. "Yes, there's a small laundry mat attached to the end of this building. Fifty cents to wash and a quarter to dry. The large machine at the end that has the broken sign actually works. We just place it there so no one knows that it can run without money." She winked at me before reaching into one of the many pockets on her shirt. "I actually found a roll of quarters in the room next door next to a box of condoms. You won't believe the amount of filth that these people leave in the rooms. Well you have a good day now ma'am, be sure to dial "0" if you run into any problems. She waddled off before turning back around sharply. "If the heaters quit just smack the end of it. It should pop right back on." She finally turned back around before disappearing into another room.

I shut the door quickly placing he tray down on the bed. I fiddled with the controls on the wall heater before giving into hitting it with the butt of my palm. The old unit made a grinding noise before rattling back to life. With a small smile I counted the roll off quarters, five dollars to be exact, before walking back into the bathroom for my now dry clothes. I flipped the TV on barely paying attention to the nasally man prattling off the mornings news. I bundled up the other clothes from my backpack then placed them in the plastic bag that I carried around with me. I sat on the edge of the bed throwing off the comforter in favor of the food. As far as I knew I was the only person that would willingly give up bacon in favor of sausage. The delicious meat sticks didn't take that long to cook. On the downside they were a bit greasier that the crispy strips of pig belly. Way more convenient to travel around with though.

"Today's high will be forty-five degree's with rain all day. There will be lows of twenty three degrees! Say bundled up today and inside as much as possible. Remember to get your flu shot as well Tri-Cities! Now let's go to Martin with traffic." The cheery blonde weather girl smiled deeply into the camera before it left her. Picking up my bag I grabbed the room key as well leaving everything on as I made my way to the other side of the motel. The same girl from the night before, Genie, was sitting behind the partition again this time on her phone. Her purple lips moved as she rolled her peppermint stick around. Her fingers glided over the screen of her cell phone, the only time she bothered to look up was to point me to the door marked "Laundry" at the end of the hall.

I opened it hurrying through the slight drizzle to the small room. It was attached to the building by only a wall with a small overhang meant to protect against the wild weather of this state. I jiggled the cold handle a few times before going into the room. My stomach gave a lurch at the smell of stale water from the floor drain. A soft kick from within had me grinning behind my hand as I loaded up my clothes in the "broken" washer. I had no soap with me so the clothes would have to get washed by the hot water only. Too much of a coward to go back out in the cold I sat on the folding table watching the clothes spin around.

What was my play from here? Skulk around in the shadows like some classic horror movie monster? There was no way I could come out as a werewolf to the public, a pregnant one at that. Viktor had lied to me about a lot of things when I was in his care but he had always remained truthful on how pack society and law was. Any females would have to report to the local alpha-the status of a lone wolf was only given to males. If word got out that an unmated female was wandering about then she would be brought in immediately to the alpha. Add to the fact that said wolf was pregnant meant even more urgency. _"Werewolves are not meant to have children, Meridith, its God's curse. His way of showing his regret for our creation. If you truly thought about it as well only the alphas in an actual wolf pack are allowed to rear young. Anyone else and they have to forfeit the pups to them or leave the pack entirely. If we werewolves did that then every mated pair would have their own pack. We can't have that now, can we?"_

I wrapped my hands around my breasts as I thought over his words. I never heard of a werewolf giving birth at all so I was extremely nervous? What if I did? What if I died in the middle of it? What if she died? Yes, she, a girl with rosy cheeks and deep green eyes with brown hair. I didn't know who her father was but I knew she would look somewhat like me. If she didn't then I would love her still.

"Sticking to the outskirts of town seems to be the best method. It's too rural out here for anyone to really pay attention to wolves. But what if they decide to run here?" I steepled my fingers on my lap. "Either way that just means I have to go to another city….no…it's not safe. I need to stay here. If I get found then so be it." The washer sounded its alarm that the clothes had finished. I scooted off of the table to put them in the dryer. As I fed the quarters into the coin slot the door rattled open as a wheezing man walked in. He struggled with his basket for a few seconds before placing it on the top of a washer.

With one person in the room it felt cramped. Two had me nearly suffocating. The wolf began to pace slightly snorting in annoyance at the man who had entered into the room. He rubbed his ear with a hiss before looking back over at me, "Sorry honey, didn't mean to startle you. I just gotta do a load before I go back out on the road. Trucker's life style and all only gives me a few moments to do these things." He began to fill in the washer with his clothes whistling a silent tune to himself. I checked my clothes to see if they were done before adding another quarter when he cleared his throat behind me. "So…" he started out as he leaned up against the wall. "My name's Robert, what's yours?"

"Meri." I answered over my shoulder at him. He nodded his head before looking me over once again. Taking off his hat he rubbed his head before sighing. "Look, I'm not good at this type of thing. I'm a straightforward kind of a guy really, but, I've never done this before."

"Done what?" My lips turned down into a frown as I gripped the roll of quarters in my fist. I had scoped out the exits in the laundry room long before he came in just to be safe if I was ambushed or worse. I had no plans to go down without a fight if need be. Robert chewed on the inside of his cheek before straightening from the wall. "I don't mean no funny business. I swear it; I'm a married man and plan on staying that way so I don't want anything from you, I just want to help." He reached into the pocket of his coat before pulling out a business card for me. "I don't care about where you came from or what you're running from hon but if you need help or any kind then please just give a call to that number." I looked down at the card my mouth going dry.

It was a card for Adam Hauptman. I had been found. My face drained of color.

"Please don't freak out. I'm a wolf too and I just smelled it on you when you walked out of here. I haven't seen you around here before but I smelled you when you checked in. I know this is really scary but I don't want to push you since you're, you know-," he pointed at my stomach before looking away.

My mouth hung open in plain shock. How the hell was this possible? There was no way I could be found out so soon-no way at all! "Stay away from me." I uttered out before pulling my clothes from the dryer. I rushed past him barely missing the meaty hand he held out to grab me with. "Miss, wait, please!" He called out but the door slammed before he could even move. I ran through the hall past the lobby ignoring Genie's call for me to walk not run in the facility to my room. My hands were shaking so badly that they could barely hold the key steady enough to put into the lock. When I was finally able to I pushed myself into the room practically slamming the door behind me. I sank down to the floor clothes in hand as I buried my face into the still warm clothes.

_How? I was so careful to not leave any traces of me. I paid for everything with cash and stuck to busses and cheap places that didn't need ID. The pack shouldn't even be out here! _Tears of frustration at being found so soon rolled down my face against my will. Ever since I left the facility I had started crying again. My resolved was failing me quicker than I had expected.

The sound of laughter brought me out of my funk to make me lift my head. A video of a girl chasing after a wolf that had her doll was playing with a narrating host. The wolf weaved figure eights around the girls' small body before stopping in front of her to drop the toy. It sat back on its haunches booping her shoulder gently with its oversized paw. My arms wrapped around my belly hugging the warm clothes against the tiny life inside. I had only started to feel small fluttering movements last night but that was all the indication I needed. I had never made it this far along in any of the pregnancies I was force into. This one, this precious one, would be my first successful one. I was determined of it.

I grabbed my back pack off of the luggage carrier taking out only the thick pair of leggings and red jacket. Once fully dressed I put my shoes on quickly wrapping up the extra sausage links before stuffing them into the front pocket of the bag as well. My mind wandered back to the towels that were hanging in the bathroom. They weren't big enough to be a blanket but I could wrap myself up in them. I folded those up then tucked them into my jacket shutting everything off. My door clicked shut behind me latching into place as I pulled the hood over my head.

Genie wasn't at the desk this time but her magazine had been left open at the same place it was last night. I jotted down a quick thank you note at the end before scooting my key into her part of the partition. I only signed my room number too afraid to let her know my full name in case they decided to hunt me down for the two towels. The weather had taken a turn for the worse since I came back inside. The wind picked up threatening to blow the hood off of my head but I held it tight against me as I walked on the rain slicked cement. If I remembered the sign correctly a gas station was up ahead about ten miles. It would take the better part of the day for me to make it up there but I had to. Knowing my luck if I stayed there then Robert would have called the pack for backup. That was something I would not stick around for.

I heard the diesel engine at the seven mile marker as the road made a curve to the right. The truck slowed down as it spotted me the acrid scent of it burning gasoline itched my nose enough to make me sneeze. "Meri," Robert called from the driver's side three feet above me. "Please listen, let me take you into town at least. I'll drop you off at one of the fast food joints or take you to a gas station." I looked over my shoulder only to see him leaning out of the side of his truck his face a mass of worried wrinkles and creases. So this was what a wolf looked like when he felt the need to protect those that were lower than him.

"The last time someone said that to me I was turned. What makes you think I can trust you?" A car honked behind him as it merged into the next lane to pass him. Viktor had a similar face that night I was kidnapped. He would put it on whenever he felt that he needed to convince me to do something for the white coats or any other wolf. I felt like darting away into the woods but the wolf kept me grounded. If I did that he would send someone out to look for me who had more knowledge of the terrain than I did. He looked around nervously again before hissing through his teeth. "You got me there. How about this, I have a loaded pistol here, you hold it and if I try any funny stuff you can shoot me in the leg." He thrummed his fingers against his door.

"Deal." I walked in front of his trunk peeking over to make sure it was safe for me to cross over. He pushed the door open from inside leaning down to give me a hand into the giant truck. Once in he fumbled with the seatbelt trying to strap me in, "I got it," I muttered as I wrapped the seatbelt around me carefully. He nodded flicking on his wind shield wipers as he pulled away from the curb. We sat in silence for the first few seconds before he started to drum out a beat on his steering wheel. "Is it warm enough for you? Body temperatures high when you're a werewolf but you look like you're freezing over there." He twisted the knob for the temperature to a warmer setting.

"How did you find out about me?" I scratched at the dried mud on my tights. Peeking out for the corner of my eyes I saw him working his jaw as he picked over the words carefully, his mustache wiggling at the same time. "I just came back from a run to San Diego with a haul of PVC piping. If there's anything you could know about hauling stuff it's that it's darn right exhausting. I wanted to hurry up and get home before the storm hit so I started to speed over here but managed to blow out a tire." He turned to me grinning comically. "Thank goodness I loaded up the spare or else I'd be stuck out there on the turnpike. Anyways I just pulled over in the motel to change the tire and when I got out you're scent just popped. It's not different to smell a visiting wolf-a lot come through hoping on meeting Adam or getting some sort of help from him. Mostly check-ins while they vacation up here but you-you were different. A she wolf wandering all out on her own kind of makes me a bit nervous for her safety and sanity. But you smelled very new so I figured that you didn't know any of the laws around here. I checked in of course hoping to catch sight of you and possibly send a message out to the pack.

If you were out here on your own then chances were it was for a purpose. I've heard a lot over my years of she wolves leaving packs to travel to better ones. I thought that was your reason for coming to Washington. Then I followed you into the laundry room only to catch your scent again." He honked as a Yukon cut off in front of him. The driver slowed down a bit before sticking his hand out of the window to flip us off. Chuckling Robert muttered, "Classic," before making a right into the parking lot of a Waffle House. He shut the engine off before leaning back into his seat to take a look at me. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a pistol before handing it to me with the point faced down. I gripped the embroidered butt of the gun feeling my arms shake just a bit at the tang of steel. I never held any type of gun before in my hands so this was a new potentially fatal experience for me. "Keep the muzzle down for now. I'd prefer you get me in the thigh if you want to." He pulled out a small flip phone as well placing it on the arm rest between us.

"Well I'm gonna leave you here in town. This is a really cheap place for you to eat and if you work hard enough you can hitch a ride out of town from someone. I just have to let you know I need to tell my alpha about you. If I didn't and you managed to get hurt or worse killed but I never told anyone about you I could get in trouble. I can take you with me to meet the pack-which would honestly be a lot easier-or I can leave you here with a two hour head start to get out of here. If you do I'm giving you the gun for protection. I don't feel comfortable leaving someone in your condition without any means of keeping yourself."

I ran my thumb over the curvy RSP lettering again. A grim smile made its way to my lips as I looked back at him. "Who will they send out if you call them?" Flicking the safety back on I placed the gun carefully inside my backpack. Robert gave a low whistle when he saw all of the things that had been stuffed inside of it. I quickly zipped it shut before undoing the seatbelt to open up the door. It had started to snow again slightly and as the wind blew into the cabin a few flecks landed on the foot rest only to melt slightly from the warm inside.

"More than likely Warren, the packs third, in hopes that he won't scare you. If not then you may just see Mercy Adam's wife. Probably her since she's another woman you could hopefully connect with." I nodded my head before pushing the door open to step out.

"Thank you Robert. If I ever see you again I'll be sure to give you your gun back it looks like it means a lot to you." I brushed the flakes of mud from the passenger seat of his car before meeting his eyes. He was gnawing on his lip while nodding his head at me. "You remind me of someone I once knew in a past life. I may not know your full story honey but I do know that whatever path you choose you will go far. Please be safe and here," he tossed a money clip to me as he flipped the cell phone open to dial someone from the pack.

I grabbed the clip then shut the door quietly as I made my way to the restraint. I kicked the tiny flakes of accumulating snow away from me as I walked across the parking lot. I felt Robert's eyes on my back before I heard his truck pull out of the lot. _Two hours to get the hell out of here, _I thought to myself once I was inside of the restraunt. There were only two people seated inside both who looked like they would rather saw their arm off then help me out from the way they looked at me. I sat at one of the small booths in the corner as I waited for my mind to clear. Two hours was a lot of time to escape if you had a car or someone willing to give you a ride. I could walk somewhere but I doubted I'd make it far enough away to not get stopped. If I was stopped by the cops then there was no way for me to explain the gun.

"Hello there, can I get you something to drink? Coffee or hot chocolate? We do have a special on out pancakes for today." The waitress that appeared at my side flipped open her note pad as she scribbled down on it to test for ink.

"Hot chocolate please. Can I look at the menu just a little bit longer?"

"Sure. Just let me know when you're ready. I'll be over with that hot chocolate in no time." She walked away leaving me to skin over the laminated paper. I looked back out of the window watching as the snow had now turned to sleet with the rain. Two hours was a lot of time to be sitting here in a dinner within nothing to think about but what had happened and what was going to happen now. I was terrified, yes, but I was also eager to start over again.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello you guys! Here's the third chapter of Throne of Petals. I know it's starting off a little slow but it should be picking up pace soon. First part of this chapter is a lot of background on Meridith. This is an AsilxOC but there will be some elements of BranxOC and SamuelxOC. I will be making a lot of changes to the actual storyline but not for a while. _This means flashback/thoughts. __**This means thoughts in flashback. **_This is regular talking. Please enjoy!

_I met Viktor when I was fifteen at a small coffee shop in a Portland mall. I was sitting down reading a random book that I had found at one of the bus stops on my way up here. I had ran away from home frustrated with the fact that no one was there anymore. Mom was more attached to the bottle and dad well he just loved bouncing around from bed to bed. For two months I lived alone in our tiny downtown apartment. Only the bills cluttering up the kitchen table told me that yes, I did have parents somewhere out there. One night I gathered all of the jewelry in the house, packed up my red backpack, and just left. I pawned everything for a measly five hundred bucks then bought a one way ticket to a random city I picked off of a map. Portland, Oregon it was. _

_I spent most of my time bouncing from bench to bench with the last of my money. Summer was starting to peak through here but the air was still chilly. I happened to splurge on myself one day buying a jacket along with a latte when he came to sit down in front of me. My first thought was to scream out "Stranger danger!" then splash my hot latte over his face. When I looked up however that changed everything. _

_He was about six feet even with cropped blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. A cream T-Shirt fit snuggly against his shoulders outlining the slight muscles along his biceps giving off a slight peek of his tattooed clavicle. It was a lettering of some sort that curved yet fell in hard lines in a language I could not understand. "Hello," he said his soft baritone rolling over me. He fingered the lid of his cup as he looked down at the cover of my book. "Tithe. Hm. I've never heard of this one. Isn't it a little bit too old for someone your age to read? You should be reading Nicholas Sparks or Jodi Picoult. Lovely tales of love and sacrifice." He grinned taking a sip from his cup._

"_How old do you think I am?" I tucked the book into my backpack as I watched him fiddle with a few of the sugar packets I had thrown on the table. __**He doesn't like to keep still, **__I thought to myself, __**he has to keep his hands busy. **_

"_You don't look a day over eighteen. My name is Viktor what is yours?" _

"_Meridith." I answered him while I crossed my legs at the ankles. He was one of the most beautiful people that I had met. His skin pale despite the fact that I could smell the scent of the trees on him. It hung to him like a second skin lingering in the air around him. Who was this person? Why did I feel drawn yet repelled against him? I had never felt so fascinated by another person-not since I had my first kiss in the seventh grade with David McGuffin behind the cafeteria. I was so enchanted that I missed how his eyes took a slight glowing quality._

"_Do you have a place to sleep tonight? I've seen many wanderers around here but none so young as you." He brought his hands to his lips blowing on them slightly to fight off the soft chill in the coffee shop._

"_Sixteen."_

"_Sixteen?"_

"_My birthday was last Monday. I bought myself a pair of socks to celebrate. I didn't want to buy anything too big for me to carry around or a new pair of shoes that would do me no good when the season changes again." My latte was getting cold too fast for me. I had over half a cup left for me to drink. Making a face I took a sip before putting it down with a soft thunk against the tabletop. Viktor chuckled as he scooted his chair back._

"_Wait here. I shall get you a pastry as a belated gift. It's better than socks, I swear; everyone deserves a sweet on their special day." He walked over to the counter stretching his body as my eyes followed him across the room. _

_**Meri girl you are in trouble! You better stop it now before you dig yourself into your own grave. How many stories have you heard of the long lost girl getting herself killed by going off with the stranger to his house? **__I scolded myself, __**but I'm so tired. I haven't had a decent meal in a few days and a soft warm bed wouldn't hurt much either. Just this once, **__I told myself, __**I will do this. **_

_Viktor had returned at that point with a small Danish in his hands. He handed it to me with a shy-like smile which I took eagerly. He watched me as I ate it; I could feel his roaming eyes taking me in slowly. Weighing options in my head I wiped away the crumbs from my mouth. "Where do you live," my voice was hesitant as I flicked my gaze to his once again. I could see the muscles in his neck flex a bit as he became tense then relaxed when I dropped my eyes to his dimpled chin. An imperfection on his person-a reminder that he was human. _

"_I have a small house just a few blocks from here. Its two bedrooms with a futon in the other that I use as an office. I swear to you that I will not do anything to harm you. My hand to God." He raised his right hand with the palm turned to the ceiling of the coffee shop. I nodded my head slightly before wrapping up the remnants of the pastry in another napkin and tucking it into my backpack. "Alright. I trust you."_

"_Good. Come, my car is parked this way; do you know how to drive?" He asked as he shouldered his leather jacket on. _

"_No clue how. I'm mostly chauffeured to wherever I need to be. Public transit system does offer free heat and all that." I slung the backpack over my shoulder while I zipped my red jacket up following him slowly out of the shops back entrance to the parking lot. It had warmed up a bit but I still felt the need to keep my jacket on as I headed towards the black two door sedan in front of me. I should have listened to my intuition to stay back in that coffee shop but I didn't. Instead I followed him having no worries when he shut the passenger door for me that it was locked from the outside. I just kept my eyes forward while we drove to his house. That feeling of fascination had a hold of me that made me just want to melt into the seats or the crook of his arm for no reason._

"Two waffles with scrambled cheesy eggs and two pieces of whole wheat toast. I have you're fruit bowl here as well as some extra jelly packets." The waitress's voice brought me back from my wandering mind as she set the plates down before me. The food was still steaming from the freshness of it coming out from the kitchen. She pluncked a glass of ice water before me with a straw before leaning on the table. "Is there anything else I can get you?" She asked me.

"No this will be just fine for me. Thank you very much." I grabbed my fork as I pulled the plate with eggs closer to me.

She nodded her head before walking back behind the counter without as much as another word. I was too interested in the fluffy golden eggs to really pay attention to her as I stabbed at them with shaky hands. The food from earlier this morning had kept me full for a bit but I knew I had to keep eating. My stomach ached from hunger again reminding me that if I felt this bad then my little one would be feeling worse off than me. The door chimed as a small group of teens walked in from the rain. The laughed at one another as each undid their jackets tracking in mud as they walked up to the counter at the front part of the dinner.

Their rambunctious laughing kept the wolf on edge as they huddled close together. One of the things that I had learned when I was turned was the dislike she held towards gatherings of people my age. The door chimed once again causing for the teens to grow quiet while the sound of boots walking down to where I was could be heard. The wolf stood at attention her nose working to process the scent of the new person in the room. _Male, mated, but with another male, _she licked her jowls before baring her teeth, _he knows about us. He is here to take us. _She began pacing once again as I imagined her fur standing on end in anticipation of a sudden fight.

The man paused next to my booth before turning around abruptly leaning a hip against the empty part of the table in front of me. I circled the remainder of my eggs with my fork watching his reflection on the polished table to. He wore a button down plaid shirt with jeans and a decorative belt buckle. His sleeves were rolled up revealing long fingers that were dirtied and rough from years of hard work. He had the beginnings of a beard lining his jaw which stayed shadowed from the brim of his hat. Reaching up he pulled it off settling it in his lap while he extended his hand out to me.

"Hello, Miss, my name is Warren. I was asked to meet you here by my alpha Adam Hauptman to take you to speak with him. I believe you met with Robert earlier today as well." I stared at his hand for a few seconds before gingerly lifting my own to shake his hand. The group of teenagers had started talking amongst each other in whispered tones before standing abruptly to leave. Someone had left a few ones on the counter which fluttered in the wind from the opening door. My eyes lingered on the paper as he nervous fluttering in my stomach was followed by gentle rolling.

"What's Adam like?" I asked offhandedly. I felt sick all of a sudden. I covered my mouth before turning to stare at Warren's face. His eyes were downcast with a slightly confused look as he stared at my red backpack then flicked his gaze to my midsection. He was in disbelief, I could tell, about the bunching of my dress around my slightly noticeable stomach. I forgot how much this black dress tented around me despite the fact it was black. I draped my arm around my belly which caused him to snap out of his trance. His eyes flicked to mine holding my gaze until I looked down. He was higher than me, I could tell, but I didn't need to listen to him. It was something that I had discovered with Viktor-as much as he would yell our orders I never once had to obey them.

"He's a good man that is concerned for you. By pack law you have to come with me since you are female. I don't want to cause you any trouble or harm but its better if you just came along instead of me having to force you." His voice had gained a commanding edge to it as he reached into his pocket pulling out a cell phone. "Do not make it more difficult than it has to be." He skimmed through the contacts before pulling up a picture of a heavily tattooed woman covered in flour. He kept his eyes on me as he pressed the call button holding it up to his ear while it rang.

I pushed my plate away from me as I stood grabbing my red backpack in the same movement. I turned from him walking slowly to the door just in time for the same waitress to step out from behind the counter. She stared at me before moving quickly towards the counter. "Excuse me but you haven't paid for your meal. I can't let you leave until you do so." I mouthed out _help, _as she looked at me. It took her a second before she diverted her attention from me to Warren as she scooted up to him. "Excuse me sir but I need payment before either of you can leave." She placed her hands on her hips standing wide legged in his path.

Nodding his head Warren held the phone in place as he began to dig into his pockets for his wallet, "Mercy," he said, "I'm gonna need some help-Shit!" He shouted as I ran out of the dinner. I heard the crash of him pushing past the waitress who yelled out at him before I was off high tailing it down the road. "Wait! Dammit stop running! Mercy hurry up!" I could hear him gaining ground behind me as he caught up to me. I hadn't even made it to the streetlight before a silver car pulled up in front of me. A man got out as I skidded to a stop in front of them while Warren slid up behind me grabbing firmly to my backpacks strap.

"Let go of me!" I yelled trying to pull away from him. The feeling of being trapped ran through me again as my eyes widened. The tattooed woman got out of the driver's seat jogging around the front of the car towards me. "Back up a bit guys she's freaking out. Warren hold onto her for a bit longer."

I thrashed in his grip trying to kick at his knees as he lifted me from the ground into a more secure hold with his arms wrapped around me. "Easy, Easy there darling. Calm down no one here's going to hurt you just breathe." He huffed out loud from the effort of holding me still. "Mercy you better hurry it up or else we're going to lose her to the wolf." Mercy nodded in front of me before placing her hands on each side of my face forcing me to look up into her eyes. They flicked over me in concern as she started to speak rapidly.

"Listen to me. No one here is going to hurt you, ok? I promise! My name is Mercy Hauptman and I'm Adam Hauptman's wife alpha of the Tri-Cities pack. We mean you no harm. You're safe you understand? You're safe." I stared at her in disbelief as she held me still. "I'm taking you to see Adam and that is it. No one is going to touch you or do anything to you without you Okaying it." I nodded as she removed her hands from my face. The weird blanketed tingling that had come over me when she touched me left me dizzy. I wobbled a bit as Warren set me back on my feet again. He motioned for one of the other guys to help me into the car, "Ben, grab her back please." He handed over my bag before getting in the back seat his hand lingering on my stomach. Once he had me strapped in along with himself he turned to Mercy who had started up the engine. "Please turn up the heat Mercy she feels like an icicle." He kept his hand against my stomach protectively the long fingers spanning against it as he looked out of the window protectively. I stared down at his hand clearing my throat until he removed it with a quiet, "Sorry."

"Bran hasn't left yet. When Robert called he was on his way out but he overheard his conversation with Adam." Mercy flipped on her blinker as she made a hard left. "He wants to talk to you when we get home. Why does it smell like sausage in my car?" Mercy looked in the rearview mirror as Ben help up my backpack. He began to dig around in the bag before letting out a low whistle pulling out the pistol Robert had lent me. "My, my, someone's a little bit recreational now aren't you?" He dangled it between two fingers checking to see if the safety was on.

"Ben put that back. I do not feel like getting pulled over today with a loaded gun." Mercy shook her head tiredly as she pulled over in front of a two story house. Ben laughed before pocketing the gun and getting out. I stared up at the house nervous of what was inside. For all I knew there could be a weed shop or some sort of gun runner. Mercy pulled the door open for me as I undid my seatbelt eager to get out of the car. I buried my hands in the pockets of my jacket before making my way up the steps behind Mercy. Ben still held my bag in his hand as he dug though it to the sausages buried inside. He sniffed one then took a bite before making a face as he handed it over to Warren who just shook his head. "Nope. That's all yours brother." He smiled crookedly at him as he held the door open for me.

Once inside I felt that blanketing feeling of magic overcome me as we headed deeper inside. _Oh man, _I thought to myself, _I've really done it now. _


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you guys for the favorites and follows! I can't explain how much these keep me going. I know I may have the characters OOC here but please bear with me. I'm still a budding author trying to get everything down to pat. I don't really have a timeline for this nor do I have an update scheduled since this just floats with me. But what I do know is that I do not own this awesome series. It all belongs to the amazing Patricia Briggs. What I do own is Meridith and Viktor (who you'll find out more on soon!) Thanks for reading and enjoy!**

The house was…lovely. Not my cup of tea but lovely. White carpet covered the bottom floor echoing in its brightness. Whoever came up with the idea of having white carpet in a house full of werewolves had to be either very dumb or strong enough to know how to handle large rambunctious teams of people. I wasn't able to see even a bit of blood that should have been there-this was the alpha's house, wasn't it? Someone had to at lease fought with another person around here somewhere. But no, there wasn't so much as a slight color change. Either they had an amazing cleaner or a budget big enough to cover replacements. The carpet looked gaudy enough to be in the thousands if they did.

Looking into the living room I was convinced that this had once been a staged house. The furniture was spaced evenly apart at just the right angle to be close but not too close. I flicked my eyes around the hallway we were walking down taking in the pictures of various people either grinning or grimacing trying to turn away from the camera. A picture of a girl with purple hair and cake all over her face stood out amongst the others. She was laughing with a maniacal grin on her face holding two pieces of cake with a boy standing behind her trying to get them out of her hands. A tattooed woman stood off to the side clutching her stomach as she laughed out loud. Squinting I recognized her as Mercy but with shorter hair.

A snort from my left made me whip my head forward. "I still can't believe the put that one up there," Mercy chuckled. "You should have seen the aftermath of the kitchen. Never again will I leave those two alone with cake and little Sandoval girls running around." Mercy patted my back as she stopped in front of me touching a random point on the wall. "Here lies white chocolate frosting." Shaking her head she started back down the hallway before turning into the kitchen.

Warren laughed loudly, "Oh woe is the wall. White chocolate frosting has tainted its being."

Mercy stuck her head back out from the door way, "Someday we shall avenge it with a new coat of paint." She pounded her fist in the air before going back into the kitchen. _She's becoming cooler every minute I'm in her presence, _I thought to myself while plodding on after her. She was rummaging in the kitchen pulling out stuff for sandwiches to place on the island. I walked awkwardly half in as the other two wolves began talking in hushed tones amongst themselves. Ben nodded before heading upstairs taking them two at a time while Warren stretched his arms above his head then came into the kitchen. He nodded at me giving a soft smile before pulling out one of the barstools to sit upon. "Mercy what are you doing?"

She looked over her shoulder at us as she ran a tomato underneath the faucet. "Making a sandwich, why?"

"You've washed that same tomato for the past few minutes Mercy." He shook his head as he reached for the fruit bowl in the middle of the island. Taking out two oranges he kept one for himself then handed the other to me. I grabbed a hold of the giant thing feeling as if my hands were dwarfed by the size of it. He rolled it in his hand some before standing up scooting the stool out from under him. "I'm sorry ma'am, here, take a seat," he pulled the stool next to him out before grabbing my bag to place it on the island top. I barely took a step forward before I was lifted up then placed like a kid on the stool. I swore I left one of my shoes behind.

Warren grabbed the orange out of my hand in order to peel it leaving a long peel strand dangling on the end. Mercy had by now placed the sandwich on the island. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him from the corner of her eye head cocked to the side in amusement. I wondered if Warren had ever done anything like this before especially since he didn't look the part of a dotting person. With a wince he handed the orange back to me wiping at his eye with the back of the hand before feeling for the sandwich behind him. He handed it over to me motioning for me to eat.

I just stared at him. I had a weird wolf in front of me who didn't want me to move and was forcing me to eat fruit and sandwiches. I looked at Mercy who had an eyebrow raised at Warren as she held the orange peel between two fingers delicately. Warren sat down staring straight at me until I picked up the sandwich to take a bite. "It's good." I smiled as I reached for the orange. With a nod he turned back around to Mercy before rubbing the back of his neck. "She looked hungry plus her stomach was growling." He shrugged before grabbing the peel from her to throw away.

Three sets of footsteps sounded on the stairs as Ben along with two other wolves made their way into the kitchen. One man was on the phone slightly smaller than the other, younger looking really, but he was older than me. He wore blue jeans with the ends hemmed up and an old Zoolander T-shirt. His blonde hair was cropped short enough to look like he belonged behind the counter of a fast food joint. I sniffed the air, _pizza? Yeah, he'd look like he would make pizza. _I flicked my eyes down to his hands taking in the calluses on them. _Lots of pizza dough. _I felt a slight tingle on the left of my face which made me turn my gaze up. Another man was leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed over his chest. So this was the infamous Adam Hauptman who managed to get his whole pack kidnapped.

The wolf bared her teeth at him in my mind. She wasn't so much impressed with the situation as she was with the air of authority surrounding him. He reeked of loss so strongly she had to fight to stay in her seat to not curl up next to him as a way of comfort. While the little "pack" she had been in during her time with the white coats was dysfunctional it still gave her that pack flavor. My flicked back to Viktor's insane smile the first time he had killed another wolf in front of me. He had laughed during the first half hour then wouldn't stop crying for the rest of the night. _I killed my brother, _he whispered to me, _I can still feel him here. _

"Samuel just got off of work; he should be here within twenty minutes with his supply kit." The man that had been talking on the phone placed it on the island before nodding to Adam. "I don't really understand what's going on here so please someone explain it to me. Mercy you said Robert called you on this one?" He started pacing slowly where he stood a contemplating expression on his face. Mercy had scooted over next to Adam were she sat next on the countertop. Adam kept watch on her out of the corner of his eye as she swung her legs lazily.

"Yes. He said that he just came back from a run when he got scent of her. Managed to get her to go with him to a restraunt but she chickened out at the last minute. He left her there then called the house. I answered since you and Adam were still having a go at the feast so I sent a message to Warren who happened to be on that side of town. He got a hold of her before me and Ben could get out there. She started running and Warren gave chase. We managed to catch her but she was just freaking out. It was like-"

"Don't talk as if I'm not here." I interrupted her. The tension had become too unbearable, Adam's eyes were still on me as he breathed silently through his nose. Deep breaths that made his nostrils flare. The guy pacing paused midstride to look at me as well. "I didn't mean to get him in any trouble I just wanted to go unnoticed. I'm so sorry please don't be mad at Robert." I looked up to the man who was staring at me with an unreadable expression. He slowly walked up to me before stopping a few feet away. Behind me I heard Adam shift as he pushed away from the counter top.

"Why were you holding a gun loaded with silver bullets in your purse then?" His voice sounded like it could move mountains as he questioned me. I readjusted myself on the stool before swiveling halfway around to answer him with the other guy in my eyesight. My hands dropped to land in my lap with the arms caging my stomach gently. Since I stepped in this house I had been wracked with nerves torn between trying to stand strong and protecting my unborn child. Gnawing on my lip I answered, "Robert gave it to me. I refused to go anywhere with him in his big rig so he let me hold it just in case he did something that felt threatening to me. Not to sound rude or anything but you guys are not the friendliest of bunch. I heard what you did to that anti-fae guy and the group that captured you. Forgive me if I wanted to stay in the shadows instead of being dragged into something unpleasant."

"For someone so new to our world you sure do know a lot about our recent events. Where are you from if you don't mind me asking?" I felt the blanket of energy pull over me again like a net. The wolf snapped her jaws at it growling as moved away from it. Warren placed his hand on my shoulder giving it a little squeeze of assurance as I bit my lip trying to distract myself from the feeling. I shrugged out from under him crossing my ankles, "please don't do that it makes me feel sick."

"Do what?" Adam asked me as he narrowed his eyes on my face. I looked at his chin before snapping my head in the other guys direction, "That. It's unnerving and makes me feel sick." I shuddered as I pulled the jacket closed around me tighter before standing. "Mercy do you have a restroom I could use? I really need to pee." _Little hitchhikers definitely moving around in there now. _I thought as the faint butterfly feeling flickered around my lower stomach. Mercy nodded as she jumped off from the counter before leading me down the hallway to the hallway bathroom. "Hot's on the left and colds on the right," she pointed out before leaving me alone. I uttered a quiet thank you before shutting the door. When I was done I washed my hands relishing in the soft scented soap. My nose still was having trouble recognizing obvious smells but when it came to little things like this I was fine. As I turned to leave I paused mouth slightly open before outright grinning. There, previously hidden by the folds of my dresses skirt was my belly button barely poking out from under the dress.

I left the bathroom walking slowly as the sound of another hushed conversation reached my ears.

"Warren what's going on with you?" Mercy questioned.

"Nothing," he answered her.

"Bullshit," Ben called back, "Sorry, Adam, it just slipped. You've been watching her like a hawk the entire time we have been around her. Anyone that came in here could tell you're downright mother henning her." A deep growl sounded. Ben cackled in retaliation letting the sound echo throughout the kitchen. "What's got you all interested in her now? It can't be that you want her, no not when you have Kyle."

"Watch where you're heading Brit. Can't any of you guys tell by now? Adam you have had to at least notice it by now-Bran I'm pretty sure you do since Sam's coming out here and all."

"I have my suspicions, Warren, but I won't jump to conclusions until I at least hear it from her mouth. From the way things are progressing I'll never find out if she is or not." Adam replied back quietly.

"So she's pregnant?" Mercy asked. I heard drawers being pulled open rapidly. "How the hell did I miss that one? How can you guys tell? She's not showing as far as I can tell. I mean she's snappy but I feel like it's her personality normally. How did you know that Christie was pregnant with Jessie?"

"She took a pregnancy test then called me at work. Not much razzle dazzle there honestly."

"Um, excuse me, are you lost?" I jumped surprised at getting caught eavesdropping in on the conversation. I quickly recognized the girl from the picture Mercy had showed me on the wall as the one standing right behind me. Her hair was a mauve green this time parted at the side in a short bob. She wore an ugly sweater with a tacky knitted "Ugly Sweater Contest Winner" across the front. She had a black knee length skirt on with jail stripped leggings and-which I had wanted even when I was younger-a pair of beauty and the beast slippers. I smiled gently at her before shaking my head, "no, I was just trying to get back into the kitchen.

She grinned back at me as she looked down at my stomach. Her mouth and eyes widened before she placed her hand on my stomach, "aww, how far along are you?" She asked innocently as her hand began to roam the span of my stomach. When she touched the right side I shuddered at the feeling. "Sorry I get a little bit too excited when it comes to baby bellies. I can take you back to the kitchen if you want me to. What's your name by the way?"

"It's Meridith but you can call me Meri. Since you look like you're about to explode here," I grabbed her hand again before placing it against my right side again softly. Her eyes lit up as she felt the baby turn for a few seconds until finally stopping near my spine. "I'm five months pregnant. My little hitchhiker just started to roam around a few nights ago. It's my miracle since not a lot of wolves are able to hold on this long." Jesse pulled her hand away from me then as she stared down the hallway, "Bran, I didn't know you were still here."

A voice clearing from behind me had me turning once again. How I managed not to get dizzy in this house had me amazed. I was waiting for morning sickness to hit me again at any time. _So that is his name, _the wolf straightened her posture as she observed him. _He feels like the king of wolves to me, _I finished her sentence, _calm yet strong in his ways. _Brans calm face was overshadowed by a sadness I could not explain. It was there tinging the air like Adam's had pulling me in like it had before only without the blanketing feeling.

"So that's why you're so shielded off from us. Do you know what you're having?" He walked slowly up to me as if knowing now to be careful around me. "Such a precious and rare thing, no wonder Warren was taken by you so suddenly-any wolf would feel the deep need to protect you now." His voice had taken a soft lilting quality as he grasped my hand running the pad of his thumb over my hand. "A true treasure." His eyes were shadowed as his mind roamed whatever it was he was experiencing. I knew this look as well. Without sudden thought I pulled on his arm giving into the urge for closeness as the wolf cried out to him.

He gave a soft growl of protest for a moment before the stiffness in his body eased a bit. Like with Jesse I guided his hand to my stomach forcing my own nerves to be still. Besides Warren the last person to do this was Viktor and even he had done so in a threatening manner holding this baby hostage. He had shook much like Bran was doing so now, in rage lost to memories long ago. But here was Bran simply trying to relive something that was tormenting him. His hand shook for but a few seconds until I opened up to him. My bracelet thrummed as I pressed my temple against his ear while his forehead rested on my shoulder. _"In time Marrok you shall meet. For now this babe I entrust into your care. Should I fail when the time comes please protect it from those that mean it harm," _I felt his breath hitch at my intrusion as I stepped back away from. His eyes glowed, the being behind them looking on in curiosity before he stepped away towards the door.

I saw Jesse staring at me bewildered before I blushed and looked down again to the floor. "Hormones," I muttered then headed back to the kitchen for the unfinished orange.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello again. I'll admit I don't know much about being pregnant. I'm mostly googling stuff for this story and managing to come up a bunch of random facts. I had this chapter completely rewritten in another way but I forgot to email it to myself **** very sad day! So I whipped this one up instead. I promised Viktor but at the last minute I felt this was getting waaay too long so I chopped it. I'm also thinking about opening up a poll for people to vote on whether it's a girl or a boy. Let me know what you think! Hope you enjoy! I do not own the Mercy Thompson series nor do I own the Alpha/Omega series. Both of those belong to the talented and loving Patricia Briggs. I do own Viktor and Meridith.**

I yawned once.

Twice.

Everybody stopped talking.

I started to fidget with the bracelet on my wrist twirling it first this way then that way while humming a little song under my breath. Everyone turned back to the island discussing what sounded a bit like battle plans to me. Actually I should be paying more attention since they were debating if it was worth me staying here in the Tri-Cities or going up to Montana where more "experienced" wolves would be able to help me "when the time came". I rolled my eyes before noticing Jesse edging closer and closer to the fridge. She noticed me staring at her then placed her finger against her lips.

"Jess if you're hungry then eat a piece of fruit. You know the moment those pudding cups are gone the Sandoval girls will lose their minds when they come back over with Gabriel." Adam placed an apple on the counter before reaching under the counter only to emerge with a rice krispie treat he pushed towards me.

"This should wake you up a bit until Samuel comes over at least. If that doesn't work I have some tea here and coffee too." Adam looked up at me with a tight smile before dropping his head back into the conversation. Slight bags had began to form underneath his eyes and he looked like he needed another hour or two before he was able to fully wake up. I smiled back at him before pulling the treat to me. I never did like rice krispie treats when I was younger but the sugar just called to me.

"I thought pregnant women weren't allowed to have sugar or caffeine. Doesn't it make the brat all jittery and stuff?" Ben asked the room as he rubbed at the base of his neck. "Shouldn't she be drinking mile or something instead?" I flashed my eyes to him as he smirked wolfishly at me. I swore with the way his moods whipped back and forth it was him that was expecting and not me. "I can have caffeine in small amounts, same with sugar; just a taste not a bag full." I recited what the only nice white coat had told me during my first pregnancy. Viktor had stayed with me the entire time soaking all of his recommendations in before he had grabbed me roughly by the arm to take me back.

Ben dropped his eyes back down to the table as he pulled out his phone. "Is it okay if I ask you something?" He started to scroll through his phone touching random items on the screen. Without waiting for my answer he spoke, "I wonder if daddy knows that you're here with us and not out there roaming the streets about." He pursed his lips as stopped scrolling. "Wonder how he feels now that he can't feel the very beginnings of movement the little one has started to do." He placed his phone down on the island top before walking out

The kitchen had gone deathly silent. I gnawed on the inside of my lip before standing up abruptly with my bag. This time I gave a fake yawn eager to get away from the stares of the others. _They don't know, they don't know. Don't hold it against them Meridith, it's an honest question, _I thought to myself.

"Dammit Ben." Mercy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please ignore him Meridith. He tends to get a little bit antsy whenever someone new comes around. He's real nice but he just pushes buttons. Give him a few and he'll be warm putty in your hands."

"It's ok. It was a good question and one that I've been avoiding for a while. A lot of people won't really understand what's happening or what I'm going through but I can't forgive them of their opinions." By this time Jesse had come back to my side with Warren right behind her. I gave a soft chuckle at the sight of two pudding cups stuffed in the front pocket of her sweater. Warren mussed her hair before announcing that he would get one of the guest rooms ready for me to take a nap in. "Oh," he called back from the hall, "I'll give Kyle a ring to see if any extra clothes were left behind from one of his clients. A nice dress or something."

A loud knock on the door sounded before it opened, "Adam, Mercy, Da?" Sounded a deep voice from the hallway. I couldn't help it. My head whipped around so fast that I felt dizzy. The wolf had perked her ears slowly lifting her head sleepily from her paws as she took in this man. My nose itched with the scent of pine needles and musk that absolutely sang with dominance. I rubbed at my temples attempting to ignore the mental picture of the wolf thumping her tail happily with each step this new visitor took. As he got closer though I grinned at the aggravated yowl she gave when he reeked of a mate. _I can chase but I can't play, _she thought with a teeth baring grin. I only rolled my eyes before turning back around.

Bran was playing with a coin as he leaned on an elbow in front of me. His eyes looked clouded as he stared at me head on. I blushed ducking my head to escape his probing gaze as he called, "in here Samuel." His light steps walked headed into the kitchen-he was making an effort to let his presence be known as a stranger was in. "Ariana told me that you had wanted me to come over with my bag. She didn't go into much details just asked that I bring it her. Mercy didn't get shot at again did-"

Just my luck. He had to stop right behind me. I could hear him taking in quick breaths trying his hardest to place my strange new scent. My fingers went back to the bracelet tracing the leather that had been woven in a hearing boned style as he slowly walked into the room. "Is this some sort of a trick, Da?" He started to head off to the right slowly stalking me. "Are my eyes truly deceiving me? Is this nose of mine playing the tricks of nightmares long ago?" He dropped his bag down before coming into my sight. The wolf stretched lazily as she too began to circle in my head sensing the imposing threat in the room. If he was taking such an offensive stance the she would be on her best guard.

"Stand up I want to take a look at you-I want to see the lines of your face and say for myself that you are in such way related to her." I darted my eyes over to him raising my lip in warning. I may be low in the pecking order but by God himself I would not allow for another to endanger my hitchhiker. I placed an arm around my stomach as I rose, chin tucked as I took in his tousled hair, white shirt, and tan pants. His eyes burned with a questioning flame that echoed almost as much as it did in Bran's. Disbelief, uncertainty, amazement, wonder, and the most painful of all, pure raw hope. His gaze took in every plane of my face as I did the same with his body.

His hands were large yet rough with a permanent scent of disinfectant. Like the walls in Mercy's house I had to look hard but the stain of blood was there embedded deep within the cells lining every line his hands held. They were so large yet gentle. _A healer's touch is something that you must experience for yourself. There is nothing more sorrowful yet loving in those arms, the tight muscles of their chest, the sweetness of their breath that has announced the joys of life and the shadow of death all at once. _I wanted to bow to him much like I wished to do so with Bran.

I closed my eyes against the need.

"Da. How can this be?" His voice was so tight I could imagine the fragile rigidity that was upon him. One sentence showed me enough of his soul to know that he was safe.

"I do not know how this came about Samuel. All I know is that she is not the first nor will she be the last. The bodies of the other lone wolves and humans we found held the same scent she barely does now. They started to show up two years ago then disappeared. Now we have one surviving soul that needs to be protected. She's the only one that is still pregnant." Bran had bowed his head and when he pulled it up I couldn't keep the grim look from my face. "She is the only one to not act extremely sick or near death like Blue-Jay Woman did. Samuel I feel as if she can survivor the birth but I have no hard facts at this point."

Sam stayed silent for a while before grabbing his bag then leaving the kitchen. "Is there a room I can set up in?" He asked from the archway.

"Warren's setting up a guest room as we speak. He should be done by now so let me take you guys down there." Mercy quickly stood before leading the way down the hall.

"You don't need to come Mercy. It'll just be some routine things that I can check by myself since I don't have an ultrasound machine with me. Boring stuff really." Mercy stopped in the hallway before turning her brown eyes to Sam.

"No. I won't leave you two alone not when you're wolf won't stop trying to herd her closer to you. Plus I'm curious about this too. Adam's my husband now Sam, and as much as he keeps saying that he's getting to be too old to play a dad it's not stopping me from holding out hope. I may not be a wolf but I will keep my fingers crossed on this one as well. Besides I want Adam to look as flustered for our rugrats as he does in all the pictures with Jesse." She looked over her shoulder at him then at me. "I don't know if even you know how truly blessed you are. You're gonna bring a lot of hope and attention to yourself now." She walked forward again calling to Warren as she went.

"In here. Mercy, how do we baby proof one of these rooms? What if she trips and falls here? Or manages to roll over and get stuck here?" Warren was standing in a room that had small random pictures on the walls. Every few feet or so there were small areas that had been patched and painted covering old holes. He was squeezing and rotating pillows from one area to another on the bed with an annoyed look on his face. "Kyle said he would be here by dinner time with some extra clothes unless you have any you're willing to spare. Hello Sam," the cowboy nodded to him as he scanned the room once more. "This is the only one with a private bathroom that you can lock on the other side of the door. The window here opens too if you want some fresh air to come in, if not then the thermostat's right there." He jerked his chin the wall the bed sat next to.

"I'll let you guys be alone for now. Holler for me if you need something, ok?" He left the room before any of us could so much as say another word. Sam gestured to the bed with his free had as he started to rummage through his bag. He pulled out a stethoscope along with several other instruments as I laid down on the bed flat. Mercy sat next to me as she watched Sam with interest. "What are you planning on doing?"

"I'm going to try and feel for the baby too see if there are any abnormalities or defects. I won't be a hundred percent accurate but I will try my hardest to diagnose what I can." Sam pulled out a pen from his back pocket along with a spiral notebook which he flipped through until he reached a clean page "First let me get some background information. What's your full name?" He held the pen at the ready keeping a steady gaze on the blank sheet. I swallowed before answering him, "Meridith. Just Meridith."

"No last name?"

"None."

"Age?"

"Seventeen."

"Are you sexually active?"

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"No. I think an Alien got a hold of me doc! My belly's the size of a cantaloupe and keeps getting bigger! I swear all I've done is anal so there's no way of me being pregnant."

Mercy broke out laughing as Sam just gave an angry huff before scribbling down something else. "When was the last time you had your menstrual cycle?"

"About five months ago I think. Haven't really been a regular girl for a while you know." I stared up at the ceiling making odd shapes in my mind out of the popcorn ceiling. With the soft bed underneath me I had to keep my eyes open somehow without dozing off.

"Is this your first pregnancy?"

_That question, _I thought to myself, _is the worst of them all. _I felt the earth still around me as my eyes began to blur. I counted up in my mind flexing each finger individually until I had counted six all together. It was all I wanted to count. I wasn't going to count the implantations at first but I had to. Even if I wasn't their first mother they had attached to me before being ripped away. Four in total from my own body, three of which were Viktor's, the last being another wolf that had been given to me and then this one. My hands roamed on my stomach. Viktor's yet not his.

"Six. I've been pregnant six times before this little hitchhiker decided to stay with me for a longer time than all of its brothers and sisters. My little miracle that is bravest of them all." I felt a soft smile as I felt the bed dip besides me.

"I take it you didn't go full term. Care to tell me what happened?'

"One was beaten out of me, four were chemically aborted and the other two I lost to 'natural causes'. I didn't lose any of them willingly."

Sam looked at me blankly. "A life is a precious thing to have."

"Even more so when it is all that you have." I answered back as I pulled up the hem of my skirt. He had turned to grab the stethoscope from the dresser when he paused shocked by my answer. Turned back around he placed it down on my stomach before listening intently. "He has a good heart, this one. Only one here so no twins. Nice steady beat for one so young." He pulled the piece of equipment from his neck before gently pressing down on my stomach shaking it slightly until the flutter feeling began once again. I felt it trail up against his wrist which made Sam smile down at my stomach. "Hello little one. Grow big and strong so that you can be cherished by all." He removed his hands before measuring my stomach with a measuring tape pressing it snugly against my stomach. His brow wrinkled slightly as he tutted at me. "You will need more protein and iron. Your skin is not only pale but you are very tiny for someone this far out in their pregnancy. You're halfway there now so it's important to get your body prepared for the birth especially if you plan on nursing. You can pull your shirt back down."

Sam had begun to pack all of his items back into his brown bag. "If you have any questions please feel free to seek me out. Also, you can now tell the sex of the baby; it's up to you if you want to know or not. I'm going to schedule an ultrasound for you as well to rule out any hidden things. You'll need bloodwork as well as some other testes to be performed. Now when the time comes you can decide to have him here with the pack or at a hospital if you wish." He clicked the bag closed before taking a small breathe. Stepping towards me he grabbed my hand rubbing a small circle on the back of it with the pad of his hand. "We may not know each other fully now but I would be honored to deliver you baby for you. If that is what you wish of course." His thumb kept rubbing me until Mercy cleared her throat.

He dropped my hand as if he had been born before taking the bag in his hand then moving to the room door.

"How do you know it's a boy?" I asked after him.

If there was one person who shouldn't look as if he was stalling that would be Samuel. He patted a small beat on his thigh before answering me without looking, "Your stomach rests low. It may be an old wives tale, however, I have been a healer for many many years. If I am wrong then I will be your babysitter for the first year of her of her life." I could hear the smile in his voice from where I was laying. "I'm going to have a talk with my father about a few things then we'll discuss where to go from here." He left the room leaving me to brood over his words while Mercy awkwardly sat with me. She shifted on the bed before standing smoothing out her pants as she started to leave as well.

"I'm no expert on werewolf pregnancy or anything that has to do with being pregnant at all. I don't know how you've been able to go this far without keening over in need to change for so long or even worse losing it. I can see you're tired right now so please feel free to take a nap. When you wake up we'll be upstairs waiting for you." She left the room as well shutting off the lights as she went. I began to pull on my bracelets band again rolling the tiny stone between my thumb and forefinger as my mind began to wander. If I told them the horrors that lied only miles away from them how would they react? Did Bran, the Marrok himself, know of what was going on in that facilty? He had said that bodies were found in predicaments just like mine no doubt with scars like mine. Was there more than one lab? I could feel my heart racing as the thought of having another human being be tested on like I was.

My lips felt chapped as I licked them. Suddenly thirsty I walked into the bathroom running the taps to catch the water for a drink. My body felt tight with the muscles in my lower body clenching up from the tense day that I had had. I wanted to see the stars or at least feel the warm breeze blowing through my fur; when was the last time that I had changed? Weeks ago? The first time that I had tried to make it out here? I took a sip of the cold water relishing in the numbingly chill feeling of it sinking to the bottom of my stomach. _A bath will probably help me relax some. _I stripped then folding the clothes neatly before placing them on the closed toilet lid. I was too scared to take a bath in that shabby motel. If I had stayed a day longer I probably would have mustered up the courage to do so.

Once I got the temperature just right I stepped in sloshing the warm water with my feet gently. A soft sigh left my lips as the steam tickled at my thighs puckering my nipples against the cool draft coming in from the room. I slowly wetted one of the washcloths that hung from the hanging shower caddy before wetting my body. My skin prickled against the cold until it became too much for me. Pulling on the plug I allowed for the water to run over my feet out into the drain then started the shower to wash my hair. As the steam filled the room I leaned my head back into the shower closing my eyes as the water rushed over to me. I let my mind wander taking in the sounds of the water. I counted silently in my mind before I shut off the water then wrapped myself in the towel that hung outside.

Someone had laid a dress on the bed while I was in the bathroom with a pair of house slippers lying on top. Underneath it a new pack of underwear and chamomile lotion with the wrapping was placed as well. I snorted before slipping the items on then slathering myself up with the soothing lotion. I guess someone had noticed how chapped my skin had looked. I tucked myself under the covers closing my eyes as I willed myself to sleep. _Please, _I wished, _give me one dreamless night. Whoever's out there let me just have a restful night. _


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ladies and Gentleman this story has been rated M for a reason. If you are triggered by things easily then please skip down past the italics to the next bolded author's note. The first part of this contains description of rape which I've tried to edit it down to get rid of explicitness. I wrote this first part as a way to reflect on the relationship between Viktor and Meridith-the abused and abuser. Theirs is not a romantic story more like a sickening adoration. I do not own the Mercy Thompson series nor Alpha and Omega. Those belong to the amazing Patricia Briggs. I do own Viktor and Meridith. **

"_So this is your house, huh?" We had pulled up to a tiny brown ranch styled house in a cul-de-sac. Viktor was unbuckling his seatbelt as he double checked his jacket pockets for something. Turning off the car he shot a cheesy smile at me before answering. "Yes, not really a castle but it is the closest thing that I can afford. I swear it's much bigger inside than what it looks like out here." He unlocked the doors as he stepped out. I reached for the handle just as he was running around the front of the car with his hand out. "No, no, let me get it, please! The door handle is loose."_

_He pulled it open before offering his hand for me to take. I grabbed it with a giggle as he kissed the back of my hand. That fascination was coming over me again in waves. No one had ever held a car door open for me. It made me want to be blush at the simple action. I grabbed my backpack as I made my way up to the red front door. Small hedges had been planted at the front of the walkway with vines crawling up a white gardening fence. The scent of Oleander hit me full force as I waited patiently for Viktor to lock up his car. I couldn't remember the last time I had smelled it so freshly at this time of the year._

_Striding up behind me Viktor gently nudged me out of the way to unlock the door. "Sorry," he said apologetically, "I just don't like standing out here too long. I have too many nosy neighbors to count. Everyone sees a young man walking around and they go crazy trying to get him to day their daughter's." He chuckled as he turned the door handle before pushing it. "Here we go. Can I get you a glass of water or anything? I have milk too if you would like a drink of that as well." I wiped my boots off on the black welcome matt before walking in after him. The house was had a well lived in vibe that radiated throughout it. Brown plush carpeting lined the dining room that stood off to the let as well as the living room with mosaic tile lining the walkway between them. _

_Viktor shrugged off his jacket hanging it up on the coat rack that stood off to the side of the door. "Here let me get your jacket from you and your bag. You can take your shoes off then place them right next to mine." He helped me to unzip my jacket before running his hands over the outer material. His hands touched upon a small speck of dirt which he rubbed against the fingers of his hand. Frowning he asked, "when was the last time you washed your clothes Meri?"_

_I shrugged nonchalantly trying to roll my pant legs down to hide my mismatched socks. "Since I ran away. I have a change of clothes with me that I wash whenever I can. I try to stick to cheap laundry mats around here since they stay open all day mostly. If I'm lucky they have a large enough sink with hot water that I can fill up to wash my hair." I turned to face him before cocking an eyebrow. He was holding my jacket up to his nose taking deep whiffs of it with a dazed look on his face. "Does it stink or something?"_

_He nodded his head before hanging it back up. "It smells like irrigation water. Don't worry, I have a washing machine here that you can use if you want to. I believe my sister left a change of clothes here as well if you would to change later on. She's about your size. Now how about a house tour, yes?" I smiled at him before following him through the house._

"_This here is the den slash living room. There is the television with cable TV. I don't have a DVD player since I can order movies whenever I want. The couch has a pull out bed if you feel more comfortable sleeping here. Mind you it's a bit old so I don' know it if is still working or not. It squeaks a lot too." He turned around before motioning to the dining room. "This is the formal dining room. Very small. The table is a family heirloom. One hundred percent pure mahogany with chairs as well; it is about fifty or more years old. I hardly eat in here since it's more for staging. We all tend to gather at my sister's house when it comes to holidays."_

_He turned down to the hallway his bare feet padding against the tile lazily. Opening the first door on the left I couldn't help but gasp. A single large claw footed tub sat against the wall teasingly. I could tell it was nearly three feet deep just by looking at it. Brass fixtures were flipped to the off position with a curtained window just above it. Across from the tub was a large vanity with a deep porcelain sink off to one side and a long counter with a small makeup chair pushed into it. Underneath the open counter was an array of cleaning supplies mixed with the occasional beauty product or two. Pressed against the far wall was a walk-in shower with the curtain pushed off to one side. An overhead shower head hung at the top with a smaller handheld one hung up against the subway tiled wall. Indented into the sides were bare pockets meant for soap and such._

"_I had this one designed myself. I got a little bit over excited with owning my first home and went overboard. Before the curtain I thought of having glass shower doors but opted against it unfortunately. You can use this one for the time being as I have an en suite in my own room." He turned away from the breathtaking room before opening up the room on the right. "And this is my office with the foldable bed." It was a small room with a futon shoved up against one wall. A black U-shaped desk was pushed into the corner with the computer facing the foot of the futon. A large collection of books was held up on a metal book shelf with a printer in the middle of it. The books looked like they were in another language that looked like a bunch of whirls linked together. "You can stay either in here or the den. The choice is up to you honestly. Now, what shall we have for dinner?"_

_We ordered pizza which we ate in the formal dining room. I had to dust of a small layer on the large table while be brought out dinner plates from the kitchen for us to use. We made small talk as he showed me how to run the washer for my clothes. He was a web designer that worked mostly from home. If he wasn't there then he was off touring the country with his team trying to get companies to sign on with them. He had been out shopping for a new suit when he saw me in the shop. "I was curious," he shrugged, "a beautiful girl sitting by herself drinking coffee. I was certain something terrible must have happened to you as no girl ever goes alone to a coffee house." He pulled out my chair before serving me. "Tell me, have you had wine before?"_

"_I'm a little too young to have wine."_

"_Oh come one. There's a first time for everything, yes? If it bothers you then we can call it dark champagne. It's basically the same thing only bubbly."_

"_Champagne and wine are not the same thing even I know that." I rolled my eyes before taking a bit of the pizza. He raised an eyebrow as he went into the kitchen returning with two glasses of dark wine. "I don't think-"_

"_Just a sip. Celebrate with me! It's my first time home in weeks. Please? We can watch television together after." He raised his cup before handing me the other one. Reluctantly I took it out of his hand. We clinked glasses before draining both of the glasses. He asked me about my family, why I had ran, where I planned to go. All of the questions were probing me for answers that I just didn't have. I smiled more often giggling as he leaned closer and closer into me placing food on my plate. He offered me more wine but just gave me a look when I declined. Eventually we sat on the sofa watching old reruns of random comedies that made no sense to me. _

_I leaned into the crook of his arm feeling more relaxed than I had ever before. I was so comfortable staying right here in his arms even if we had just met. __**What are you doing Meri? Can't you tell something here is wrong?! Who gives a teenager wine or a room to stay in without asking for stuff in return?! You need to leave before you get in too deep Meridith!" **__The little voice screamed in my head trying to pull me out of my spellbound state. I ignored her though instead leaning further into Viktor, relishing in the way he trailed his fingers up my arm gently, before sliding them back down to my elbow. He rested his chin on my forehead whispering nonsensical facts to me. When the commercials started at one point I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head gently as he murmured something that ended with my name. _

_I pulled out of his hold to stare back at him suspiciously. "What did you say?" _

"_I said you looked beautiful." He held my gaze as he brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. "Like a queen that stepped out of a dream of mine with those glowing green eyes of yours." He leaned in brushing a thumb over my lip until we were only inches apart. "Your lips feel just like rose petals Meri."_

_I pulled away so fast that I felt dizzy. Clearing my throat I rubbed my sweaty palms against the sides of my jeans as I straightened my shirt. "I-I think my clothes stopped." I ran from the room for the laundry room in the hallway quickly shutting the door behind me. My heart was racing as my hands shook with nerves. I felt dizzy and sick and angry as-despite my deepest confusion-a small tingling began in the base of my stomach. I wanted to be sick as I pulled the clothes out of the washer then into the dryer hoping that they would dry quickly so I could lock myself in the office. I left the laundry room shutting off the light before walking into the living room again. _

_Viktor wasn't there. My eyes darted around searching for him. All of the slasher movies came to my mind playing over slowly in my mind. __**Runaway girl gets taken home, runaway goes into house, runaway decides to let guard down, runaway gets throat slashed when back is turned. Great Meridith you just gave him enough time to prepare the empty well for your body. **__Swallowing thickly I called out, "Viktor?" A door down the hallway shut as Viktor came out of his room with a bundle of clothes tucked under his arm._

"_I'm sorry if I scared you Meri. Here are the clothes I was talking about. I thought you might want to take a shower before going to bed." He held the clothes out to me until I took them from him. He gave me a soft look before heading back into his room. "Please feel free to let me know if you need anything else. I'll be in room if you need me." He shut the door with a soft click leaving me in the hallway. I walked into the bathroom shutting the door behind me turning the lock. I blamed my pounding head on the glass of wine as I stripped before turning on the shower. I didn't bother folding my clothes feeling confident enough to leave them lying on the floor. I flipped my hair over my shoulder before squatting before the vanity as I pushed aside the cleaning products in search for shampoo and conditioner. _

_When I found some I started the shower frowning when I realized that I would have to wait for the water to warm up. __**He's probably taking a shower too. **__My skin heated at the thought of him doing so as I stepped I pulled the curtain around me after stepping into the shower. The tingling in my stomach intensified as the water hit my skin making me close my eyes at the simple thought. I lathered my hair imagining the water gliding down the muscled plains of his body, the drops leaving trails in the suds on his clavicle revealing small glimpses of the tattooed letters on his back. Grabbing the shower head I ran it over me. Opening my eyes I squinted through the haze of steam as the world began to tilt slightly. _

_I grabbed onto anything as I felt my legs suddenly go weak. My head was fuzzy from everything spinning around me. I held on for dear life onto the hook for the hand held shower head breathing hard as I heard the door click open. My heart began to hammer inside my chest as tears welled in my eyes, "oh God," I muttered just as the shower curtain was pulled aside. _

_I couldn't see him but I could feel his eyes on the back of my neck. I heard his deep breathing as he stared at me in a way that I had never known. His fingers ghosted over the bare skin on my lower back before he placed his hands on my bare hips turning me roughly around. M y breathe hitched at the sight of him bare chested before with only his boxers on. He took in my bare body with greedy eyes pausing at the apex of my thighs. I was so terrified that I couldn't gather the strength to stare at his face just the soft hollow base of his throat where a faint pink scar lined from end to end. He had had his throat slashed sometime in his life but it was too old of a wound for me to really notice at first. There was a small cross on the inside of his right bicep that, if he had his arms flat against his side, no one would see. _

_The same script I had noticed on the books I now realized was of his clavicles. I blinked my eyes trying to focus on the small circle between the words as he hunched over rolling down his boxers before he tilted my head to meet his eyes. They were hard with that same look he had when he smelled my jacket. With a tight smile he whispered loud enough for me to hear above the water, "scream all you want no one will come to help you. No one will hear you beyond these walls." I felt his hands trail down past my stomach to just above my naked sex where he stopped to kiss my cheek. "In my time a girl was judged by her virtue. If she was intact then men would strive to gain the attention of her father for the opportunity to ask for her hand in marriage." _

_I tried to close my eyes attempting to squeeze my thighs close but he jammed a knee between my legs tightening the hold on my chin. His fingers had found me working their way slowly between my legs as he gave a small growl. "But if she were impure he could ask for her at any price as the shame of her actions on the family would be greater than her death. There is nothing worse than discovering a treasure only to find out that it has already been plundered." I cried out as he shoved roughly into me tears springing to me eyes with each unfamiliar pump of his hand. When my legs truly gave out he removed himself only to wrap them around his waist. _

_He growled angrily squeezing tightly onto my hips with each undulating motion. I could feel the blood rushing between my thighs as the feeling I had felt earlier came over me again tenfold leaving me with a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. "When I am done with you," he uttered, "you will be worth more than your weight in gold." The water had turned cold when he finished leaving me numb and raw. With a roar he rammed into me one last time before biting the side of my neck with so much force I screamed out for the first time that night. _

**A/N: For those that chose to skip then please feel free to read on starting at this point.**

I woke my body covered in sweat with a silent scream upon my lips. The bracelet burned against my pulse point as every nerve on my sweat slicked skin prickled with the pain of the change. Recognizing it I threw the blankets off of my skin pulling at the dress roughly until it finally came off with a loud tear. I saw the wetness running down my cheeks before I knew I was crying. I managed to pull my panties off halfway before the first feeling of cracking bones hit me. Wave after wave of nausea hit me so hard I nearly swore. I crouched low on my elbows and knees arching my back like a cat as I had learned to do in an attempt the building pressure that was slowly building near my womb.

In all of the pain I prayed. I prayed to whatever deity was out there in fear for the life of my child. I could feel its rapid movements, the sense of confusion, and my own fear of heartbreak. The beginnings of the change were so sudden that I didn't have the time to prepare my body into the breathing exercises that I learned. A small cry turned into a whine as my mouth elongated into a long black snout. Black fur pushed through the skin standing on end in reaction to the dream that I had. In all the transformation had taken five minutes.

My prayers had been answered. The rapid moving in my stomach had died down into the regular rhythmic thump that I had grown to know in this form. I flicked my black ears towards my stomach waiting for the painful aftershocks to finish rolling over me. When they were done I lifted my muzzle slowly before pressing it into the upper part of my abdomen-the spot where Viktor himself would bury his nose before crying out in sadness after each visit from the white coats. My prodding was rewarded by a slight shimmying movement of the little swimming around happily inside of me. Just to be on the safe side the wolf force my leg up making me nuzzle underneath the legs until the familiar scent of pregnancy greeted me.

I hated, _hated, _when that dream came. For the first few weeks of this pregnancy it had been an unwelcome visitor whenever I closed my eyes. Why couldn't I dream of flying bowls of chocolate ice cream like I had the last week at the facility? I stood shaking my body to get rid of any leftover feelings that decided to hitch a ride with me. The magic of the change still hung in the air making me nervous that someone would come to check on me. If they were shocked at me being pregnant I could only imagine how they would react to me changing into a werewolf from a scary dream. I bet that each of them had changed once in their lifetime from something similar.

I walked over to the window gently tugging on the curtains with my jaws until it pulled open slightly. The moon high in the sky greeted me with the few stars that had managed to twinkle through the pollution that hung around at this time of the night. Seeing as the door was closed tight I doubted I would be able to open in plus I wanted to feel the moon on my fur. The last time I had changed was weeks ago which left me with my fur on end. I bumped the lock on the window with my nose before trying to work it open the same way. In the end the window stayed shut with wet nose smears on it. Snorting in annoyance I pushed the lock closed before turning away once again then heading into the bathroom.

My stomach was swinging low grumbling as the thought of turkey jerky smeared with jelly entered into my head. I went to the second door in the bathroom contemplating how to open it without any hands. I sniffed around he handle before noticing that the lock was a push one. If I managed to push it hard enough I could make it out of here then too the kitchen for turkey jerky slathered in jelly. I pressed it hard with my nose sneezing in the process managing to push the door open. My eyes took in the messed up sheets along with the lone male on the bed entangled in them. He was naked with only a sheet covering his lower half, slim with pouty lips that I just knew would spout sass. The room reeked of Warren who was nowhere in sight.

Not wanting to be accused of being a peeping tom I ducked my head before going up to the door. _Shit! It's closed too! _I whined in my head. My stomach growled once again leaving me to my last resort. I glanced to the man in the bed then the door before giving a mental, _fuck it_. For a wolf I was on the small side which tended to let me get away with most things like this. I rested my head on the edge of the bed closest to the other man's head breathing in deeply. _So this is his mate, _the wolf in me observed, there was no denying it since he was covered in every inch of his scent.

I snorted softly letting the air hit the side of his face. His hair ruffled a bit but it had little reaction besides that. I did it again this time rewarded with a low sigh before he turned his head next to me but nothing besides that. I shook my tail once before turning my muzzle sideways letting the whiskers tickle the tip of his nose. He brought his hand up swatting sleepily just as I managed to pull away then rest my muzzle on the edge of his bed. "Warren stop it. We just went let me sleep some." I whined. In my head I was laughing; no wonder the room smelled so much of him. His eyes slowly cracked open at the sound. "Warren I-you are not Warren." He observed sleepily as he took in my dark fur before turning his head to the open bathroom door. Cocking an eyebrow he stared back at me until I licked his face.

He gave a small smile before getting up slowly being sure to keep the sheet over his waist as he grabbed a pair of pants from the floor. I sat by the door waiting for him to open it. As he started to search for a belt I let out another whine that ended in a growl lifting my right paw up to my chest. "Calm down, calm down. I'll let you out right now so be patient. Can't go out there undressed like this now can I?" He buckled the belt before opening the door a crack which I shoved my nose into scratching at the base in an attempt to get to the kitchen. "Hey! If you don't stop messing up this thousand dollar paint job I will shut the door and no one will get out of here. Now step back so I can get through." I took a few steps before looking up at his chin waiting for him to open it patiently despite my rumbling tummy. When he took a step out I did with him nudging the back of his knee until we were in the kitchen.

Jesse was the only one there with-no surprise to me-a pudding cup graveyard around her. She was in the middle of eating the fourth one when she locked eyes with the man whose jaw had popped open. "Jesse!" He whispered. She dropped the cup letting it clatter to the floor. Not one to let free food go to waste I ran forward lapping it up before snagging the container out into the living room. Jesse squeaked at my sudden movement pointing to me, "who's that?"

The man whipped his head around at her answer before looking back at her. "I thought the wolf was with you guys. It got in my room somehow then kept messing with me until I let it out of the room. So you don't know this wolf?" He asked as he stepped slowly in front of her. I lifted my head licking the excess pudding from my jaw. Pudding had never tasted so good. With my tongue lolling out of my mouth I darted back to the kitchen only for the man to take a step towards me with a raised foot. He bared his teeth in an attempt to look menacing before he called out, "Warren!" I lowered my head automatically not liking the tone of his voice as he took another step towards me.

Jesse had walked to the archway slowly as the other man was trying to divert my attention to him. He called out to Warren again as I took another step to the refrigerator which I knew had jelly. I growled at him crouching low in frustration of being blocked from my next meal. Footsteps from the hallway sounded as Sam made his way towards the kitchen. The front door opened revealing a wet haired Warren with Mercy stepping into the room. They took one look at Warren before quickly rushing into the room. Sam was hot on their heels with a worried expression before he paused right in front of me.

"Kyle what's going on?" Mercy asked as she kept her eyes on me. The sudden attention with crowding had my hackles rising on instinct. I crouched low to the ground until my distended belly rested on it in an attempt to protect my precious cargo. My baby twirled about in reaction to the cold temperature but I kept my eyes on the others. Sam had pushed his way to the front of the group where he was slowly crouching in front of me. He cleared his throat silencing the room as he spoke with authority drenching his voice. "Meridith come here. I need to check you to see if you didn't slip the baby." I growled at him turning my rear end to the wall as I eyed the island for a way to get out.

Sam tensed. I tensed. He leaned forward a bit. I leaned to the right with my shoulder. He started to get out his crouch-I shot off like a bat out of hell fainting to the right as I launched myself to the island. If I was lucky I would be able to get on top of it then pounce off into the hallway.

Warren slammed into me gripping my neck tightly and cradling my middle like I was a fine china vase.

He skidded across the floor on his back barely knocking into Sam sending him flying towards the sink which he knocked into with a hard thump. Panicking I started to buck snapping my jaws towards his neck in an attempt to get free. I wriggled with everything I had while Warren yelled out for Mercy to help him hold me. She rushed over pressing me onto his chest while I let out a howl of injustice that sent the rest of the cavalry in. Sam popped up next to me as he managed to somehow get into the tangled mess of limbs and fur. Mercy held her hand on my neck while Sam ran his hands over my stomach pressing desperately but not in the right area searching for the right spot on my abdomen.

"Lay still!" Mercy shouted pulling the blanket of pack magic over me. With a final terrified I whined before throwing all of my weight on Warren. I licked his forearm where one of my teeth had drawn blood as Sam kept pressing into my side. He grunted running his arms roughly through the fur before muttering a soft apology then taking his hands off of me.

"The babies still there alive and kicking around. I can't feel anything's wrong with it just that the movement made it start moving around." He patted my back leg which earned him a growl before getting up. "Da, do you want to feel just to be safe? Maybe you can figure out what made her change." I hear Bran's silent steps toward me before I was able to smell him. He touched me gently in the spot right above my hitchhiker before muttering in that same lilting language he had before.

"I can feel nothing wrong but I don't know how she managed to keep the little one here with her." He removed his hand before grabbing my paw that still held he braided bracelet. He fingered the braided strands before putting it down. "Unicorn hair woven with the leather. This is a witches stone as well that has been embedded with a healing spell. Very old form of magic that I thought was never in existence again." He stood before touching Mercy gently on the shoulder. "Let her up I want to have a conversation with her." Mercy removed her hands at the same time Warren let go of me. The cut on his arm had healed by now but still shimmered with the pink of a new scar.

I sat up on him before nuzzling my nose into the side of his pants as a way of apologizing again. He gave a soft smile before scratching my ears then pushing me off of his lap. Bran sat down in front of me trying to catch my gaze but I kept it solely on his shoes embarrassed for my actions. "What happened Meri?" I lifted the same paw with the bracelet on it up on his knee as I gave a gruff snort. He smiled before lifting me muzzle up to him. I didn't dare pull away.

"Bad dream?" He asked.

Snort.

"Very bad dream?"

Double snort.

He nodded. "Is that why you changed?" I gave a low whine snapping my jaw as I got up into a sitting position. Scratching the side of my jaw he let go before pointing to my paw. "Did this protect the baby?" I gave another snort. "Were you messing with Kyle when he was sleeping?" I looked at Kyle as I danced on my paws again. Bran chuckled before he stood up to leave the kitchen. I gave another howl of injustice as I walked in a tight circled to the fridge.

Bran stopped short then looked over his shoulder. "Yes?" I growled turning my head to the island again. He came back to pull open the drawer's going into each once until we hit the precious beautiful turkey jerky. He opened the package before pulling out a few pieces to hold in front of my face. "Here you go." I sniffed them then looked back at him until he turned to the fridge with pulling everything out that I growled out. "Jelly? You want jelly on the turkey jerky? Who comes up with something crazy like that?" He laughed as he opened he jar dipping each piece tiredly into it before feeding them to me one by one.

"I will never understand pregnant women," muttered Ben.

"Just be lucky it's not pickles in apple butter," Adam groaned as he followed Mercy down the hall.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks guys for hanging around this long. I know I'm not the best of author's on here but practice makes perfect. This is a slow story, I admit, however it will pick up rather quickly. Apologies for not updating sooner-seeing all of the alerts had me kicking myself-I was wrapped up in the holidays. Once again I do not own this beautiful series it belongs to Patricia Briggs. **

**Bran POV**

He stared at the black she-wolf curled awkwardly on the couch. Thirty minutes of trying to convince her to change back into a human had not worked; her stubbornness managed to outshine even Mercy's infamous one. Not even a whole bag of turkey jerky smeared with jelly could get her to do it.

And then there was the issue of getting her to go back to sleep in her room. When warren tried to corral her into the hallway she ran off to the living room where she firmly planted herself in front of the unlit fireplace. At that point Bran had told them that he would stay with her for the night not trusting that she would jump into another questionable change. So here he was, siting cross legged on the floor watching as the tiny baby in her stomach pushed outward while she slept.

He could think back to a time long ago when Blue-Jay Woman was still alive. He kept vigil over her as she slept soundly in her fur attempting to fend off the ever growing chill of the season. Even though she was only with him for a few short years it was long enough for him to discover himself again-to appreciate the actual changes of life around his as growth, not the loss that would always plague his mind. When she was pregnant with Charles suffering from the after effects of not changing in months he had kept watch as well. He repeated the words both her father and the medicine woman would chant as they smudged the area around them with sage.

Bran would mash the mixture of clay, herbs and small handfuls of berries for her father so he could paint on his daughter's swollen belly. With each swirl of his old fingers Charles would move off to the other side of Blue-Jay Woman's womb seeking the waning warmth that she held. He had always thought in the back of his mind that her being a werewolf would make her strong enough to carry his son to full term. Her selfless actions in deciding to carry him to the end without changing hurt a small part of his heart, however, but he never did blame her. Just like he never did during the in the final throws of labor. It was instinct that made her hold onto her unborn child. If she hadn't he was sure she would have gone insane the moment she lost him.

The night Charles was born he sat outside of the medicine woman's hut alone listening to her rough cries of painful determination as she pushed their child out of her dying body. He had felt the snap in his soul when the toll hit him. Despite the protests from her father he forced his way into the small hut where he was greeted with Blue-Jay Woman's tired smile and the small screaming baby in her arms. He bit the cord himself ignoring the blade the healer handed him. For the last few minutes of Blue-Jay Woman's life he held her up as she nursed their son for the first time in his life.

It was only when she uttered the breathless name of his child, Charles that he allowed himself to cry.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose attempting to draw himself away from the past. Meridith stirred in her sleep uncurling to stretch out on the couch on her back belly facing the ceiling of the room. Bran smiled at the action holding in his laughter when she started to snore gently. His eyes were drawn to the braided bracelet that circled her paw loosely. Despite it being mostly leather the piece of jewelry was quite flexible allowing for her to pull it up and down with little difficulty. The small stone that had been hallowed out to string it onto the braid left him uneasy.

It wasn't often that he managed to run into something of his mother's that still existed. If he could recognize it then he was certain that Samuel had as well. Unicorn hair was hard for even the Fae to find-but the Cornick Witch herself had been able to track one down trapping it long enough for the Berserker to kill. It was probably one of the purest creatures he had ever felled. The fact that it never moved to harm him still troubled him

He wondered if Blue-Jay Woman would have survived if she had worn it.

He reached into his pocket pulling out the smart phone Mercy had insisted that she buy for him. She and Jesse's attempt to teach him to text had failed horribly-or so they thought-leaving them to only show him how to work the menu only. If they ever caught him playing a game or texting he was sure it would be the end of the world. He got up to walk into the kitchen and out of the back door all the while dialing Charles. Even though it was four o'clock in the morning he knew that the pair would be awake more than likely returning from a run.

The phone hadn't even dialed out before Charles answered, "Da." In the background Bran heard dishes clinking with water running the background. Good, he had just caught them after breakfast.

"I need you to run a search for any missing teenagers under the name of Meridith with black hair and green eyes. Age range should be between fifteen and eighteen more than likely gone missing in the last two years on the west coast. Height being four feet eleven inches. Get me any information on family, if possible, as well as cases of missing women in and around Oregon near the Washington boarder." He watched as his breath steamed in the cool air. The clinking had stopped in the background as Charles wrote down the brief description.

"You found a live girl." Charles stated.

"Email me the search results," Bran responded ignoring the comment from his son. "Also have a room set up at the hotel for a guest; you may want to get one of your own rooms prepared just in case as well. Let me talk to Anna please." The phone shuffled around some before Anna's cheery soft voice said, "Good morning Bran."

"Morning Anna. Can you do me the favor of buying some stuff for a nursery? You can take Sage with you if you like."

"Sure, there anything specific that I need to get?"

"Newborn items. A crib, bibs, onesies, stuff like that. Make sure you get some stuff that will grow with the baby as well." He squinted off into the darkness as a small blinking light in the backyard caught his eye. It was red like a recording camera but facing that back directly at him and the house. He took a step to the left pretending as if he had not noticed the lights blinking. It stayed trained on him fully following him as he shuffled slowly about on the porch. The feeling of him not being alone out there piqued his curiosity; whoever it was thought that they were strong enough to stalk the local alphas pack. No a very smart thing. He coughed loudly three times deliberately sensing that Adam had roused at the signal. Alerted he began to make his way slowly downstairs towards the front door with Ben close behind him.

"Is this a little boy or a girl? Wait, wait. You're bringing a baby to Aspen Creek? Don't tell me she got turned right after she had it." The sadness in Anna's voice pressed on Bran who was attempting to find a way of phrasing it without alerting whoever was out there what was going on. "It's more complicated. I have to go. Have that place set up before I go there please." He ended the call quickly when not a second later a pained yelp sounded from the other side of the fence. Pocketing his phone Bran walked over to it before hoisting himself up by one hand. He landed a few feet away from Ben who held a man down on his stomach with his nose pushed into the dirt.

"Give me your name and the company you work for." Adam ordered as he glared down at the man. He just cackled out loud before flipping all of them the bird. Bran nonchalantly stepped on said finger. Grunting in pain he finally answered, "David Brune senior member of QARS's third division."

"Why are you outside of my house with a riffle aimed at the back door?"

"Because," he puffed into the dirt, "someone had to distract you guys while the assassination squad hit the front of the house." Snarling Bran turned to jump back over the fence just as the sounds of squealing tires racing by the front of the house was heard as gunshots rang out. Shouts came from inside the house as said car sped off before driving past the opening of the alley. Ignoring Adam's cry for Mercy he took off down the alley hoping to catch a glimpse of the license plate but the car had already turned down another street leaving only the smell of burning rubber. Houses nearby were lighting up immediately as distant sirens sounded speeding up to the house. He bared his teeth at the smoking road before turning back down the alley to where Ben was shaking the man on the ground screaming into his face. Foam was falling out of his mouth as the scent of cyanide permeated through the air.

"Ben-"

"The bastard had a pill hidden under his goddamn tongue! I asked him what QARS was but he told me eat shit then swallowed it. Dammit!" He kicked at the dead man's gut one last time before turning back to Bran. "Now what?"

"Help me get him into the trailer before the cops show up. Grab his front and I'll grab his legs. Have Adam give a call to his witch when the cops are gone, I'll stay in the trailer with the body until she's here." Ben nodded before hoisting up the body.

**Meridith POV**

If I had been in the living room still I would have been dead. Luckily I was in the bathroom willing the pain from changing again to leave my body when the shots hit the house. A bullet managed to make its way into the bathroom a few feet in front of me hitting the water supply to the sink causing it to sputter cold water on the floor. I shrieked in shock wiggling away from the hole as the bullet embedded itself into the other side of the door. Warren roared from down the hallway as Jesse screamed in surprise. In all the shots rang out for about fifteen seconds before they stopped. When they did I heard Mercy racing down the stairs calling out to anyone.

"Warren! Meridith! Jesse! Kyle-ADAM!" Her panicked cries came closer to the bathroom before I called back to her. She opened the bathroom door taking in both my naked state and the spewing water from the faucet. She threw a towel at me as she slid on the slippery floor to shut the water off. "What the hell happened?" I asked her as I wrapped myself up then headed out to the hallway. Kyle was standing in the hallway looking at all of the bullets in the floor as Warren ran into the living room, cursed, then came down the hallway. He rushed past me into Jesse's room where he dragged the unharmed teen out of her room back to the hallway.

"Get in here and don't come out til I get ya!" He shoved the three of us into the room he was sharing with Kyle before slamming the door shut. Kyle banged on the door once before pulling both me and Jesse over to the other side of the room. He forced us down into the corner placing a finger over his lips in a quiet motion before taking an offensive stance in front of us with one foot in front of the other and both fists ups. His body was tensed as he prepared himself for some type of attack that was bound to come. My pulse picked up as the wolf herself began to bleed through; the tell-tale signs of pressure behind my eyes as her own bright green came forward to take in the any movement. I could smell the slight tinge of fear blanketed in worry coming from Jesse as she stared straight at the door.

_One, two, three, mice beneath the snow-where oh where will they go? _She was chanting silently in the back of my mind in the half human voice of hers she would use to soothe me. I could only imagine the excitedly tense look upon her face she would wear if she was beside me. I counted with her until another loud bang sounded through the house followed by the sounds of a scuffle. I heard a deep grunting sound as someone lost their breath followed by running footsteps coming from the hall to the door. "The house is clear you guys," Mercy said as she pushed the door open. Kyle let out a breath in relief before turning to help me up from the floor as Jesse let me use her to push myself off of her. Mercy ran her eyes over us before going back into the hallway where Warren was holding a bullet in a small dishcloth as he examined it. The lights had been turned on showing where the gunfire had started at the far right of the house until it ended all the way to the left. If one of the cement pillars holding up the second floor hadn't been on the opposite side of the bathroom I would have been dead. It was a clean, professional sweep at an even level meant to do damage. I had no doubt that if someone was hit in the leg they would have died the moment they hit the floor.

Jesse squatted to look at one of the holes that made it clear through the houses foundation. I stood over her as she fingered through a powdery substance that had come from the tiny hole. Directly adjacent to it was the spent casing which I bent over to touch it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Warren sounded from over my shoulder. He, too, had noticed the powder that Jesse was poking around in curiously. "It looks like a weird mix between gun powder and silver. I can't touch the bullet without burning he tips of my fingers raw. Mercy, there's no markings on this at all-it's all homemade." He held out the bullet for her to inspect just as Adam came through the door with Ben who looked around frantically.

"Is everyone ok?" He asked as he headed towards us. His walk was rigid with tension from the attack as he slipped fully into his alpha role. He didn't seem to walk so march as he marched forward turning to Mercy whose arm brushed against his in a sign that I was certain meant to placate him. Adams nostrils flared as he took in the scents of the hallway attempting to take in all of the details from what had happened. "Jesse-"

"I'm fine dad. Not a single scratch on me. Meridith on the other hand needs a few Band-Aids and a change of clothes." She got up from her crouch to stand next to me with her foot slightly in front of me. With Adam's wolf so close to the edge I understood that he would lash out at anything that didn't feel familiar to him. I being a submissive female meant absolutely nothing when his den had been violated in such a violent way. He nodded stiffly before looking to the bullet that Warren was holding. I heard a few police cars pull up to the front of the house the flashing lights shining off of the roof of the ceiling. When a knock sounded from the from door Adam looked away from the bullet before he headed over to it but not before wrapping the one Warren held up carefully then placing it in his pocket. As he did his eyes met mine before narrowing. He had caught me staring at the slug. I knew then that I had been found out.

I recognized the bullet-bullets actually since I had been housed in the very place that they were made. The same ones Viktor had laid out in front of me the very first time I tried to run from him, the ones he used to mow down the others, and ironically, to save me.

Jesse tugged on my hand as she led me back to the room that I had ran from earlier that night. I shook off the ugly feeling from it knowing now that it was the least of my worries. I pulled the long dress back on as Jesse went to the bathroom's medicine cabinet to rummage around for Band-Aids. As she kept searching I braided my hair wincing as a piece of it caught on the stone on my bracelet. I carefully unwound it from the ridges with a frown. The band had become too loose either reacting to the magic in the air or my own heartbeat I didn't know.

"Found them. Meri, here you go," Jesse stepped into my line of vision holding out two large bandages which I hastily unwrapped before putting one on my knee and elbow. I nodded my thanks before heading out of the room to the sounds of voices. Mercy was standing at the end of the hallway talking to a handsome Hispanic officer while Warren was pointing out spots around the living room to a man with a camera. He placed a small numbered disc next to each spot before following the werewolf to another area in the house. Adam observed it all from where he was seated with Ben on a cell phone going over a few papers in front of him to another officer. Adam noticed us first lifting his pinky finger up as a way of saying stay put. The officers asked a few more questions before shaking both his and Mercy's hands then leaving.

Kyle came out of nowhere a roll of plastic in his hands which Ben jumped up to grab from him. Both he and Warren began to unravel it then place it against the wall as Kyle pulled furniture away from it. Rubbing at his eyes Adam called us over to him. "Jesse, I need you to help Mercy with the cleanup from this mess. And you Meri need to come with me to the old trailer next door. Bran's there and needs your help in identifying something." He pushed off of his stool to go to the back door which was slightly ajar. He pushed it the rest of the way then headed out into the night not looking back to see if I was following him or not. I walked after him nervous about what it was he needed to show me that was so important. I wasn't scared to follow him, even if he was scarily near changing, but I knew better than to fully let my guard down.

We pushed through the back gate into the lot next door which was eerily quiet. The scent of blood made me pause in recognition. If it wasn't for the fact that the Adam was with me I would have shrunk into a little ball right then and there. Instead I shivered breathing deeply through my mouth to be absolutely certain of who it was. Adam had stopped as well to observe how I was reacting around this area. The look on my face had him gripping my upper arm gently as my mind started to wander to the dark places that I wished never came back. He shook me slightly saying my name but my mind felt cloudy from spacing out. I winced then shook my full body splaying my hands against my stomach as I lead Adam into the trailer.

I knew this scent because I knew this man. I knew his smile, his shy yet fierce manner, and the way he could become absolutely murderous at the drop of the hat. He had been my guard at one point of time, he had even chased after me that first time I had run away from the white coats. I could still feel the bullet as it tore into my right flank burning the flesh as it released liquid silver into me. When I had woken up from the pain I was back in the same white cell but he was nowhere to be seen. In his place was Viktor who was tightening the bands of my bracelet before he slipped it on. I was never to take it off ever again in his presence. It had been my saving grace-my small glimpse of his humanity.

He was in the living room with Bran crouched above hi twisting his head this way and that. His hair had been dyed from the dirty blonde to a deep shade of brown that pulled at the hard planes of his face. I breathed in deeply once more as I sucked on the inside of my bottom lip to distract me from the biting cold inside the trailer. I walked slowly to the body taking in the smeared mud on his chin and the faint lines of dirt along his front body. Small dribbles of spit had me nearly laughing as they still foamed at the corners of his mouth. "Oh David," I whispered in the quiet room, "You just ate your words." Without a second thought I ran to him kicking at his ribs hoping that somehow he had to feel it in whatever realm of hell he was in.

Bran had moved away to stand in front of the couch as he watched me. I bet I looked like a madwoman; a pregnant woman with messy black hair kicking at a lifeless body with Jesse's too big bunny slippers on. I didn't care. I wanted to beat the crap out of this man for the simple fact of him taunting me while I was locked up not giving a damn about what was going on. I heard Adam's murmurs from behind me as he pulled me away from the dead guard's body. I took in a shaky breath wiping away at the sweat from my brow only then noticing the trailing tears on my cheeks. I pulled my hand back to stare at the treacherous droplets before glaring down at David once.

"I take it that you know him then." Bran said from his spot near the couch. He had been observing me for the entire duration of my rant leaving me a bit flustered as I tried to rein in my temper. I stared down at the man wishing upon anything that he had truly suffered during the last few moments of his life. "He was my jailer," I muttered, "or better yet the person who would have killed me had he been given a second chance. I seriously thought that he killed him."

"He?" Adam asked

"Yes. The person that turned me into this monster today. I tried to leave once and he," I kicked at David's body again, "decided to do some target practice. His aim was nearly spot one. I never saw him again; guessed that the white coats had decided to kill him off when they found out he almost killed their number one test subject. Never figured they would assign him to my recovery team." I flicked my eyes up at Bran noticing his slightly taken aback expression. This was basically the most I had said during my time here.

My hitchhiker chose that time to press roughly against my spine. I took a deep breath at the sudden pressure leaning back slightly to rub at my lower back. Changing into a wolf then back hadn't been any help for either of us; instead it made me slightly dizzy from the change not to mention nervous. If I counted right I could only change another four times before my body started to give out from the overwhelming amount of magic. The bracelet so far was soothing everything over making the transitions less traumatizing for the both of us. I didn't want to push it though.

As if sensing my fatigue Bran motioned for Adam to start taking me back to the house. Bran asked one last question though, "Do you know what QARS is Meridith?"

I stiffened. Sighing I met his eyes again. "I don't know what they stand for but I do know that they want to make the perfect solider. Sending out platoons of humans isn't cutting it anymore apparently. What better way to win then to let out someone who can take a hit then get back up without dying?" I looked to Adam taking in his rigid stance as he frowned deep in thought.

"A hybrid soldier, one to do the dirty work then get out. What better way to utilize us than that? Make them disposable heroes that they can keep sending back out without worrying about having to replenish them." Adam mused out loud as he cleared his throat.

"I don't know much about them honestly. Viktor kept me in the dark mainly. When he found out all of this stuff he was angry he wanted to kill someone. He thought that they were doing research to end the fact that we were infertile not to have us give birth to children we would never see again. If I had stayed then I would basically be a breeding factory until they found that perfect number one then have them turned out to the world. What else can someone respect besides a person fighting for a 'just cause'?" I looked up to the moon through an opening in one of the curtains feeling the prickling of tears again.

Bran placed his hand upon my shoulder to get my attention again. "The fact that they've found you is more than enough for me. I want you to pack your bags when you go back-I'm taking you and Samuel to Aspen Creek. Adam call your witch now." He gently guided me out of the trailer by my shoulder before apologizing when I tripped over a rut in the dirt. In a matter of fifteen minutes I was bundled up with a small box of cookies and nutria-grain bars sitting on my lap as Bran drove us out of Washington into the cold darkness beyond. I looked up to the moon again this time feeling a tingling go through me as I felt like someone was watching it with me.


End file.
